Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.15.20
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord Calls His Companions Back
“O Emperor, now I am separated from my friend and dearmost well-wisher, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore my heart appears to be void of everything. In His absence I have been defeated by a number of infidel cowherd men while I was guarding the bodies of all the wives of Kṛṣṇa.”
What the purport teaches
- Separated from Kṛṣṇa, his friend and dearmost well-wisher, Arjuna feels his heart is empty. He reports being defeated while protecting the Lord’s wives.
- The purport explains that the Lord Himself arranged the removal of His wives to uphold Aṣṭāvakra Muni’s words. The blessing included their reunion with their husband after being taken by rogues.
- After His departure, Kṛṣṇa wanted His entire entourage back to Godhead. They were called back under different conditions.
Try this today
Write one sentence describing the difference between Arjuna’s apparent defeat and the Lord’s purpose explained in the purport.
Ask yourself
How does the purport change your understanding of Arjuna’s apparent failure?
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.