Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.9.4
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Supreme Lord Honors His Elder
“Seeing him [Bhīṣma] lying on the ground, like a demigod fallen from the sky, the Pāṇḍava King Yudhiṣṭhira, along with his younger brothers and Lord Kṛṣṇa, bowed down before him.”
What the purport teaches
- Yudhiṣṭhira, his younger brothers and Lord Kṛṣṇa bowed before Bhīṣmadeva as he lay on the ground.
- Kṛṣṇa was Yudhiṣṭhira’s younger cousin and Arjuna’s intimate friend. Yet all the Pāṇḍava family members knew Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Although aware of His supreme position, the Lord followed human customs. He bowed before Bhīṣmadeva as if He were one of Yudhiṣṭhira’s younger brothers.
Try this today
Offer a respectful greeting to an elder today.
Ask yourself
What does Kṛṣṇa’s example teach me about showing respect without concern for my own position?
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.