Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.12.5
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa Attracts Us to Spiritual Enjoyment
“All the cowherd boys used to steal one another’s lunch bags. When a boy came to understand that his bag had been taken away, the other boys would throw it farther away, to a more distant place, and those standing there would throw it still farther. When the proprietor of the bag became disappointed, the other boys would laugh, the proprietor would cry, and then the bag would be returned.”
What the purport teaches
- The boys playfully took and tossed one another’s lunch bags, returning them when the owner cried. Such sporting pleasure has its origin in the spiritual world.
- Kṛṣṇa and His associates enjoy eternally on the spiritual platform. Similar enjoyment in the material world is temporary.
- Human life is meant for moving from the material platform to the spiritual platform. Kṛṣṇa displays His pastimes in Vṛndāvana to attract us to enjoyment with Him.
Try this today
Set aside two minutes of ordinary entertainment to reread this pastime and reflect on enjoyment with Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
How does the difference between temporary and eternal enjoyment affect what you seek?
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.