Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.4.68
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Devotee Lives in the Lord’s Heart
“The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart, and I am always in the heart of the pure devotee. My devotees do not know anything else but Me, and I do not know anyone else but them.”
What the purport teaches
- The pure devotee is always in the Lord’s heart, and the Lord is always in the devotee’s heart. Giving pain to a pure devotee pains the Lord, as a child’s suffering pains a father.
- Offenses against a devotee are compared to a mad elephant devastating a garden. One should therefore be extremely careful not to commit them.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead guides His pure devotees from within and removes their ignorance. Even a learned person may not understand a pure Vaiṣṇava’s actions and should not criticize them.
Try this today
Pause before making a critical comment about a devotee, and remember the Lord’s affection for His devotees.
Ask yourself
Am I too quick to criticize devotional actions I do not understand?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.