Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.13.56
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesBrahmā’s Pride Yields to the Supreme Lord
“Then, by the power of the effulgence of those viṣṇu-mūrtis, Lord Brahmā, his eleven senses jolted by astonishment and stunned by transcendental bliss, became silent, just like a child’s clay doll in the presence of the village deity.”
What the purport teaches
- The effulgence of the viṣṇu-mūrtis filled Brahmā with astonishment and transcendental bliss. His senses were stunned, and he could neither speak nor act.
- Brahmā had thought himself the only powerful deity, but his pride was subdued. Though an important demigod, he cannot be equated with Kṛṣṇa, or Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Nārāyaṇa existed before Brahmā or Śiva appeared. Remembering Nārāyaṇa at the end of life is the perfection of life.
Try this today
Pause today to remember Nārāyaṇa and acknowledge that your own power is not supreme.
Ask yourself
Where do I take too much pride in my own power or importance?
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.