Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.18.47
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesAvoid Pride and Seek the Lord's Mercy
“Then the ṛṣi prayed to the all-pervading Personality of Godhead to pardon his immature boy, who had no intelligence and who committed the great sin of cursing a person who was completely free from all sins, who was subordinate and who deserved to be protected.”
What the purport teaches
- Everyone is responsible for their own pious or sinful actions. Offending a devotee of the Lord brings reactions that are very difficult to overcome.
- The brāhmaṇas were meant to protect Mahārāja Parīkṣit, not curse him. Śṛṅgi misused his position out of vanity in being a brāhmaṇa’s son.
- Śamīka Ṛṣi prayed to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who alone could save his immature boy. The purport explains that the father’s prayer was accepted and warns against misusing the advantages of a pious birth.
Try this today
Offer a brief prayer asking the Supreme Lord to help you avoid pride and offenses against His devotees.
Ask yourself
Am I using my advantages to protect others, or allowing them to make me proud?
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.