Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.11.28
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa Teaches Equal Respect for Mothers
“After entering the house of His father, He was embraced by the mothers present, and the Lord offered His obeisances unto them by placing His head at their feet. The mothers were headed by Devakī [His real mother].”
What the purport teaches
- On entering His father’s house, Kṛṣṇa was embraced by His mothers, headed by Devakī. He placed His head at their feet in respect.
- Kṛṣṇa did not distinguish between His own mother and His stepmothers when offering obeisances. They were all affectionate toward Him.
- The scriptures recognize several persons and beings as mothers, including the cow, the nurse and the earth. The Lord of the universe acts as an ideal son to teach respect for stepmothers.
Try this today
Offer a sincere word of gratitude to your mother, stepmother or someone who has given you motherly care.
Ask yourself
Whose motherly care could I acknowledge more respectfully?
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.