Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 9.268
No Benediction Without the Lord’s Service
“ ‘Pure devotees always reject the five kinds of liberation, which include living in the spiritual Vaikuṇṭha planets, possessing the same opulences as those possessed by the Supreme Lord, having the same bodily features as the Lord’s, associating with the Lord and merging into the body of the Lord. The pure devotees do not accept these benedictions without the service of the Lord.’
What the purport teaches
- The five kinds of liberation include living in the spiritual Vaikuṇṭha planets and possessing the same opulences as the Supreme Lord.
- They also include having the same bodily features as the Lord, associating with Him and merging into His body.
- Pure devotees do not accept these benedictions without service to the Lord. Service, rather than liberation alone, is essential to them.
Try this today
Before one act of service today, pause and resolve to value the service itself rather than a reward.
Ask yourself
Do I value service to the Lord more than the benedictions I might receive?
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.