Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.9.45
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesSpiritual Perfection Deserves Genuine Honor
“Thereafter, both men and demigods sounded drums in honor, and the honest royal order commenced demonstrations of honor and respect. And from the sky fell showers of flowers.”
What the purport teaches
- Human beings and demigods honored Bhīṣmadeva as a great warrior and devotee of the Lord. Through spiritual perfection, he was recognized as an authority on the level of Brahmā, Nārada and Śiva.
- Bhīṣmadeva’s body was surcharged with spiritual realization, like iron made red-hot by contact with fire. The purport therefore explains that the body of a fully self-realized soul is not accepted as material.
- The showers of flowers expressed genuine recognition of Bhīṣmadeva’s spiritual greatness. Such honor must not be artificially imitated for ordinary material distinction.
Try this today
Read one study point again and name one spiritual quality of Bhīṣmadeva that you wish to honor.
Ask yourself
Do I value spiritual realization and devotion more than material distinction?
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.