Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.18.40
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesDo Not Magnify a Small Offense
“He threw the dead snake aside and asked his son why he was crying, whether anyone had done him harm. On hearing this, the son explained to him what had happened.”
What the purport teaches
- The father did not take the dead snake seriously; he simply threw it aside.
- He asked his son why he was crying and whether anyone had harmed him. The son then explained what had happened.
- The purport explains that Mahārāja Parīkṣit’s act was not seriously wrong. The foolish son, influenced by Kali, took it very seriously and cursed the King, ending a chapter of happy history.
Try this today
Let one minor annoyance pass today without an angry reply.
Ask yourself
Am I making a small offense seem greater than it is?
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.