Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.18.23
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesDescribe the Unlimited Lord With Humility
“O ṛṣis, who are as powerfully pure as the sun, I shall try to describe to you the transcendental pastimes of Viṣṇu as far as my knowledge is concerned. As the birds fly in the sky as far as their capacity allows, so do the learned devotees describe the Lord as far as their realization allows.”
What the purport teaches
- The Supreme Absolute Truth is unlimited, while every living being’s capacity is limited. Like birds flying according to their strength, devotees describe the Lord according to their realization.
- The Lord is all-pervading Brahman, the Supreme Soul in everyone’s heart, and ultimately the Supreme Person. In His personal feature, He is the object of His pure devotees’ transcendental loving service.
- Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī humbly describes only what he has realized. Only the Lord fully knows Himself, and devotees describe Him as He gives them the power.
Try this today
Write one sentence about the Lord that you understand from this passage, acknowledging the limits of your understanding.
Ask yourself
How can I speak about the Lord sincerely without pretending to understand more than I do?
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.