Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.15.13
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionOur Strength Depends on the Lord
“When I stayed for some days as a guest in the heavenly planets, all the heavenly demigods, including King Indradeva, took shelter of my arms, which were marked with the Gāṇḍīva bow, to kill the demon named Nivātakavaca. O King, descendant of Ajamīḍha, at the present moment I am bereft of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by whose influence I was so powerful.”
What the purport teaches
- Although the heavenly demigods were more intelligent and powerful, they needed Arjuna’s help. His Gāṇḍīva bow was empowered by the grace of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
- The Lord is all-powerful. By His grace, His pure devotee can become as powerful as He desires, without limit.
- When the Lord withdraws His power from someone, that person becomes powerless by His will. Arjuna remembered that his extraordinary strength depended on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Try this today
Choose one ability you use today and offer a brief prayer of gratitude to Kṛṣṇa for it.
Ask yourself
How would remembering the source of my abilities change the way I use them?
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.