Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.8.21
Āśraya· The supreme shelterThe Lord Is Known Through His Mercy
“Aṁśumān said: My Lord, even Lord Brahmā is to this very day unable to understand Your position, which is far beyond himself, either by meditation or by mental speculation. So what to speak of others like us, who have been created by Brahmā in various forms as demigods, animals, human beings, birds and beasts? We are completely in ignorance. Therefore, how can we know You, who are the Transcendence?”
What the purport teaches
- Material living beings are influenced by the three modes of material nature. Under these modes, Aṁśumān’s uncles could not understand Lord Kapiladeva.
- The Lord’s position is beyond even Lord Brahmā’s intelligence. Meditation and mental speculation alone cannot reveal Him.
- One favored by even a slight trace of the Lord’s mercy can understand His greatness. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is understood when He grants enlightenment.
Try this today
Offer a short prayer asking the Lord for mercy to understand Him.
Ask yourself
Do I depend only on my own understanding, or also seek the Lord’s mercy?
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.