Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.12.18
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Boys Imagined a Place for Play
“Upon seeing this demon’s wonderful form, which resembled a great python, the boys thought that it must be a beautiful scenic spot of Vṛndāvana. Thereafter, they imagined it to be similar to the mouth of a great python. In other words, the boys, unafraid, thought that it was a statue made in the shape of a great python for the enjoyment of their pastimes.”
What the purport teaches
- The boys thought the demon’s wonderful form was a beautiful scenic spot of Vṛndāvana, like a statue shaped as a python.
- Some boys thought it was actually a python and began fleeing from the spot.
- Others questioned why they were fleeing. They imagined that this was a beautiful place for sporting, not a real python.
Try this today
Write down the two different ways the boys understood what they saw.
Ask yourself
How did the boys’ different understandings of the same sight affect their reactions?
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.