Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.3.18
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord’s Power Surpasses Bodily Strength
“In the fourteenth incarnation, the Lord appeared as Nṛsiṁha and bifurcated the strong body of the atheist Hiraṇyakaśipu with His nails, just as a carpenter pierces cane.”
What the purport teaches
- In His fourteenth incarnation, the Lord appeared as Nṛsiṁha.
- He split the strong body of the atheist Hiraṇyakaśipu with His nails.
- The translation compares this act to a carpenter piercing cane. Hiraṇyakaśipu’s bodily strength could not withstand the Lord.
Try this today
Read the translation slowly once, reflecting on the contrast between Hiraṇyakaśipu’s strength and the Lord’s effortless power.
Ask yourself
How does this description help me recognize the Lord’s power beyond bodily strength?
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.