Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 25.138
Replace Competition with Devotional Service
“ ‘When the living entity is attracted by the material energy, which is separate from Kṛṣṇa, he is overpowered by fear. Because he is separated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the material energy, his conception of life is reversed. In other words, instead of being the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, he becomes Kṛṣṇa’s competitor. This is called viparyayo’smṛtiḥ. To nullify this mistake, one who is actually learned and advanced worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead as his spiritual master, worshipful Deity and source of life. He thus worships the Lord by the process of unalloyed devotional service.’
What the purport teaches
- Attraction to the material energy separates the living entity from Kṛṣṇa and brings fear.
- This separation reverses one's understanding of life: instead of being Kṛṣṇa's eternal servant, one becomes His competitor.
- To correct this mistake, a learned person worships the Lord as spiritual master, worshipful Deity and source of life through unalloyed devotional service.
Try this today
Take a quiet moment today to remember Kṛṣṇa as your source of life and yourself as His eternal servant.
Ask yourself
Where do I notice a wish to compete rather than serve?
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.