Bhagavad Gita 9.33

kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyāḥ

bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā

anityam asukhaṁ lokam

imaṁ prāpya bhajasva mām

 

What then to speak of sages, pure and devoted,

And saintly kings—surely will they all be elevated.

Being born in this world, fleeting and full of distress,

Just worship me and attain everlasting happiness.

 

My dear Lord, help me acknowledge the undeniable reality of misery in this world. Guide me to see through the world’s promises of pleasure, power, position, and prestige, and appreciate how they are all ultimately empty and futile because they are temporary.

O merciful Lord, grant me the holistic vision to see beyond its miseries—to see how you reign supreme with unfailing mercy. Therefore, my Lord, help me dwell on that mercy and on the truth that you are not only competent—but eager—to energize my life with a higher purpose that makes life’s distresses bearable.

Help me, O undefeatable Lord, not to wait passively for some mystical revelation of purpose, but instead to make small choices that add meaning to my life no matter how messy or meaningless things seem at that moment. Bless me with the conviction that every situation carries some opportunity to serve you by responsibly doing something meaningful. Let me accept the inevitability of adversity in this world, and appreciate the opportunity it gives to access your purpose and power. May I come closer to you through whatever I go through in my life.

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09.33 How much more this is so of the righteous brāhmaṇas, the devotees and the saintly kings. Therefore, having come to this temporary, miserable world, engage in loving service unto Me.