Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.9.17
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyAccept Providence and Care for Others
“O best among the descendants of Bharata [Yudhiṣṭhira], I maintain, therefore, that all this is within the plan of the Lord. Accepting the inconceivable plan of the Lord, you must follow it. You are now the appointed administrative head, and, my lord, you should now take care of those subjects who are now rendered helpless.”
What the purport teaches
- Bhīṣmadeva advised Yudhiṣṭhira to accept the Lord’s inconceivable plan and take up his responsibility as ruler. The helpless subjects needed his protection.
- The Lord always teaches the sincere devotee from within. When He publicly teaches a devotee, He also teaches the world.
- A pure devotee accepts tribulations from the Lord as favors rather than resenting them. Because the Lord is absolute, these hardships and blessings have no mundane difference.
Try this today
Do one small task today for someone who depends on your care, without postponing it because of your own frustration.
Ask yourself
What responsibility to others still calls for my attention while I face difficulty?
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.