Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.10.34-35
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesFollowing the Lord’s Journey to Dvārakā
“O Śaunaka, the Lord then proceeded towards Kurujāṅgala, Pāñcālā, Śūrasenā, the land on the bank of the river Yamunā, Brahmāvarta, Kurukṣetra, Matsya, Sārasvata, the province of the desert and the land of scanty water. After crossing these provinces He gradually reached the Sauvīra and Ābhīra provinces, then, west of these, reached Dvārakā at last.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord traveled through many provinces, including lands beside the Yamunā, desert regions and places with scanty water. He gradually reached Dvārakā.
- The provinces had different names then, but the route indicates the regions through which He traveled. The purport leaves questions of geological development for experts to research.
- The devotional focus is satisfaction that the Lord reached His own province, Dvārakā-dhāma. The purport also affirms Kurukṣetra’s continued existence since the Vedic age.
Try this today
Read the journey once more, keeping your attention on the Lord’s arrival at Dvārakā-dhāma rather than only on the place names.
Ask yourself
Can I keep the Lord Himself at the center of my interest while reading about His journey?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.