Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.13.23
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesLoving Care Becomes Personal Service
“Thereafter, O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, as required according to the scheduled round of His pastimes, Kṛṣṇa returned in the evening, entered the house of each of the cowherd boys, and engaged exactly like the former boys, thus enlivening their mothers with transcendental pleasure. The mothers took care of the boys by massaging them with oil, bathing them, smearing their bodies with sandalwood pulp, decorating them with ornaments, chanting protective mantras, decorating their bodies with tilaka and giving them food. In this way, the mothers served Kṛṣṇa personally.”
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa returned in the evening and entered each cowherd boy’s home. He behaved exactly like the former boys, giving their mothers transcendental pleasure.
- The mothers massaged, bathed and decorated the boys. They also chanted protective mantras, applied tilaka and gave them food.
- Through all these acts of loving care, the mothers served Kṛṣṇa personally. Their care was direct service to Him.
Try this today
Choose one act of care described here and spend a minute reflecting on the affection with which the mothers served Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
What do the mothers’ attentive acts teach me about loving service to 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.