Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.14.2
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa’s Personal Form Exceeds Speculation
“My dear Lord, neither I nor anyone else can estimate the potency of this transcendental body of Yours, which has shown such mercy to me and which appears just to fulfill the desires of Your pure devotees. Although my mind is completely withdrawn from material affairs, I cannot understand Your personal form. How, then, could I possibly understand the happiness You experience within Yourself?”
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa appears as a cowherd child for the benefit of His devotees. Even after Brahmā’s offense, the Lord humbled him and mercifully gave him His personal audience.
- Even Brahmā could not estimate the spiritual potency of Kṛṣṇa’s childlike body. The Lord’s personal form and inner happiness cannot be understood through speculative knowledge.
- The two-armed form of Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, is original and supreme among the Lord’s transcendental forms. Understanding even a little of His transcendental pastimes makes one eligible to enter the kingdom of God.
Try this today
Reread Brahmā’s admission that he cannot understand the Lord’s personal form, and offer a brief prayer acknowledging Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.
Ask yourself
How might recognizing the limits of your understanding help you approach Kṛṣṇa with humility?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.