Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.29.25
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
Worship of the Deity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is prescribed herewith even for persons who are simply discharging their prescribed duties. There are prescribed duties for the different social classes of men — the brāhmaṇas, the vaiśyas, the kṣatriyas and the śūdras — and for the different āśramas — brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. One should worship the Deity of the Lord until one appreciates the presence of the Lord in every living entity. In other words, one should not be satisfied simply by discharging his duties properly; he must realize his relationship and the relationship of all other living entities with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If he does not understand this, then even though he discharges his prescribed duties properly, it is to be understood that he is simply laboring without profit.
The word sva-karma-kṛt in this verse is very significant. Sva-karma-kṛt is one who engages in discharging his prescribed duties. It is not that one who has become a devotee of the Lord or who engages in devotional service should give up his prescribed duties. No one should be lazy under the plea of devotional service. One has to execute devotional service according to his prescribed duties. Sva-karma-kṛt means that one should discharge the duties prescribed for him without neglect.
- Bhrigupati Pr SB 03-29-25 - 2025-03-17 Los Angeles
- SDAP SB 03-29-25 Lithuanian Translation - 2016-09-11 Kaunas Lithuania
- BKG SB 03-29-25 - Deity worship - 2009-03-16 Suva
- Gaur Krishna Das Goswami SB 03-29-25 Hindi - 2012-08-16 ISKCON Vrindavan
- SNS SB 03-29-25 - Vaisnava-Frauen - 1989-11-16 Heidelberg
- Where does your idea of God blur into a generic 'higher power' that asks nothing of you?
- How does relating to a person, rather than a principle, change how you speak in prayer?
My note
Source: vedabase.io