Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.3.19
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesEverything Rests Within the Lord’s Power
“In the fifteenth incarnation, the Lord assumed the form of a dwarf brāhmaṇa [Vāmana] and visited the arena of sacrifice arranged by Mahārāja Bali. Although at heart He was willing to regain the kingdom of the three planetary systems, He simply asked for a donation of three steps of land.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord appeared as Vāmana, a dwarf brāhmaṇa, and visited Mahārāja Bali’s sacrifice.
- Although He intended to regain the kingdom of the three planetary systems, He asked only for three steps of land.
- The almighty Lord can bestow the kingdom of the universe from a very small beginning. He can also take it away on the plea of begging a small piece of land.
Try this today
Choose one possession you value and pause to remember that the Lord has the power both to give and to take away.
Ask yourself
How might remembering the Lord’s power change my attachment to what I possess?
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.