Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.8.10
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionUttarā Prays to Protect Her Child
“O my Lord, You are all-powerful. A fiery iron arrow is coming towards me fast. My Lord, let it burn me personally, if You so desire, but please do not let it burn and abort my embryo. Please do me this favor, my Lord.”
What the purport teaches
- Facing a fiery iron arrow, Uttarā appealed to the all-powerful Lord. She urgently asked Him to spare the child within her.
- Her unborn child was Mahārāja Parīkṣit, a great devotee of the Lord. Uttarā was responsible for his protection.
- The purport stresses a mother’s great responsibility to protect her child. Uttarā therefore expressed her request frankly before Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Try this today
Offer a specific prayer to Kṛṣṇa for the protection of a child you know.
Ask yourself
What responsibility for another person’s well-being can you bring frankly before Kṛṣṇa?
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.