Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.11.5
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesPaternal Affection and Wonder at Kṛṣṇa
“Because of intense paternal affection, the cowherd men, headed by Nanda, could not believe that Kṛṣṇa could have uprooted the trees in such a wonderful way. Therefore they could not put their faith in the words of the boys. Some of the men, however, were in doubt. “Since Kṛṣṇa was predicted to equal Nārāyaṇa,” they thought, “it might be that He could have done it.””
What the purport teaches
- Because of intense paternal affection, the cowherd men headed by Nanda could not believe that Kṛṣṇa had uprooted the trees.
- They thought it impossible for such a small boy to have done this. Therefore they could not accept the boys’ account.
- Some remembered that Kṛṣṇa had been predicted to equal Nārāyaṇa and considered that He might have done it. These different considerations left them in a dilemma.
Try this today
Write down the two considerations that left the cowherd men in a dilemma.
Ask yourself
How did paternal affection shape the cowherd men’s understanding of Kṛṣṇa?
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.