Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.1.49-50
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesAddress Present Danger Amid Future Uncertainty
“Vasudeva considered: By delivering all my sons to Kaṁsa, who is death personified, I shall save the life of Devakī. Perhaps Kaṁsa will die before my sons take birth, or, since he is already destined to die at the hands of my son, one of my sons may kill him. For the time being, let me promise to hand over my sons so that Kaṁsa will give up this immediate threat, and if in due course of time Kaṁsa dies, I shall have nothing to fear.”
What the purport teaches
- Vasudeva considered promising his sons to Kaṁsa to save Devakī from immediate death.
- He reflected that Kaṁsa might die before any sons were born, or that a son might kill him. He also considered that he might not beget any sons.
- The workings of providence are very difficult to understand. Vasudeva therefore decided to address the danger presently before him.
Try this today
Identify one present need and take a small step to address it, without trying to predict every outcome.
Ask yourself
Does uncertainty about the future keep me from addressing a present need?
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.