Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.8.6
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesDevotion Makes One Receptive to Mercy
“Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa caused three well-performed aśvamedha-yajñas [horse sacrifices] to be conducted by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and thus caused his virtuous fame to be glorified in all directions, like that of Indra, who had performed one hundred such sacrifices.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa arranged for Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to perform three aśvamedha-yajñas. His virtuous fame spread like that of Indra, who had performed one hundred.
- Yudhiṣṭhira’s fame equaled that of the much more opulent King of heaven because he was a pure devotee. This was possible only by the Lord’s grace.
- The Lord’s mercy is equally distributed, like sunshine, but receptivity differs. Those wholly devoted to Him receive His full mercy.
Try this today
Set aside a few undistracted minutes today for devotional service, focusing on sincerity rather than quantity.
Ask yourself
Are you giving more attention to outward achievement or to becoming receptive through devotion?
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.