Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.9.16
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesFollow the Lord Beyond Our Understanding
“O King, no one can know the plan of the Lord [Śrī Kṛṣṇa]. Even though great philosophers inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered.”
What the purport teaches
- Even great philosophers and demigods cannot ascertain the Lord’s plan through exhaustive inquiry. The best course is to abide by His orders without argument.
- The Pāṇḍavas’ suffering was not caused by their past sinful deeds. They suffered temporarily as the Lord established the kingdom of virtue.
- Bhīṣmadeva was glad to see virtue triumph, although he had fought against the Pāṇḍavas. His defeat showed that even a great fighter cannot win on the wrong side when the Lord wills otherwise.
Try this today
Choose one instruction of the Lord that you already know and take one concrete step to follow it today.
Ask yourself
Can I follow the Lord’s instruction without first demanding to understand His entire plan?
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.