Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 38
Nārada’s Protection of Kayādhu and Prahlāda’s Womb-Instructions: Ātma-tattva and the Path of Bhakti
कोऽतिप्रयासोऽसुरबालका हरे- रुपासने स्वे हृदि छिद्रवत् सत: । स्वस्यात्मन: सख्युरशेषदेहिनां सामान्यत: किं विषयोपपादनै: ॥ ३८ ॥
ko ’ti-prayāso ’sura-bālakā harer upāsane sve hṛdi chidravat sataḥ svasyātmanaḥ sakhyur aśeṣa-dehināṁ sāmānyataḥ kiṁ viṣayopapādanaiḥ
阿修罗之子们啊，敬拜那在自心中恒常存在、近如孔隙的哈利，有何过度辛劳？祂是至上灵，是一切众生共同的朋友与善愿者。既如此，为何还沉迷于为感官享乐而徒然制造种种人造资具呢？
Because the Personality of Godhead is supreme, no one is equal to Him, and no one is greater than Him. Nonetheless, if one is a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord is easily obtainable. The Lord is compared to the sky because the sky is vast yet within the reach of all, not only of human beings but even of the animals. The Supreme Lord, in His Paramātmā feature, exists as the best well-wisher and friend. As confirmed in the Vedas, sayujau sakhāyau. The Lord, in His Supersoul feature, always stays in the heart along with the living entity. The Lord is so friendly to the living entity that He remains within the heart so that one can always contact Him without difficulty. One can do this simply by devotional service ( śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaranaṁ pāda-sevanam ). As soon as one hears of the Supreme Personality of Godhead ( kṛṣṇa-kīrtana ), one immediately comes in touch with the Lord. A devotee immediately comes in touch with the Lord by any or all of the items of devotional service:
FAQs
This verse says excessive labor to arrange sense-objects is unnecessary because Hari—the true friend of all beings—is already present in the heart and can be worshiped directly through devotion.
Prahlada was instructing his demoniac schoolmates that real happiness is not gained by material planning and sense gratification; instead, one should turn inward to worship Hari, who is already present as the indwelling Lord.
Reduce overwork driven by consumption, simplify desires, and allocate daily time for remembrance and worship (japa, prayer, study), recognizing that peace comes from reconnecting with the Lord in the heart.