Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 18.113
The Spark Is Never the Original Flame
“A living entity and the Absolute Personality of Godhead are never to be considered equal, just as a fragmental spark can never be considered the original flame.
What the purport teaches
- The living entity is a fragmental part of the Absolute Truth, just as a spark is a fragment of a flame. At no stage of perfection can a living entity become the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu protested the claim that a sannyāsī is Nārāyaṇa. A sannyāsī remains a living being, a fragmental portion of the Supreme.
- Living entities are subordinate parts and parcels of the Supreme. The Supreme Being, Kṛṣṇa, maintains all living entities.
Try this today
Today, pause to remember the spark and flame analogy and acknowledge your dependence on Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
How does knowing that Kṛṣṇa maintains you help you understand your position?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.