Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.15.10-12
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa Delights His Friends and Animals
“Sometimes the honeybees in Vṛndāvana became so mad with ecstasy that they closed their eyes and began to sing. Lord Kṛṣṇa, moving along the forest path with His cowherd boyfriends and Baladeva, would then respond to the bees by imitating their singing while His friends sang about His pastimes. Sometimes Lord Kṛṣṇa would imitate the chattering of a parrot, sometimes, with a sweet voice, the call of a cuckoo, and sometimes the cooing of swans. Sometimes He vigorously imitated the dancing of a peacock, making His cowherd boyfriends laugh. Sometimes, with a voice as deep as the rumbling of clouds, He would call out with great affection the names of the animals who had wandered far from the herd, thus enchanting the cows and the cowherd boys.”
What the purport teaches
- The bees became ecstatic from drinking flower nectar and associating with Kṛṣṇa. They closed their eyes and hummed, and the Lord expertly imitated them.
- Kṛṣṇa imitated the calls of parrots, cuckoos and swans. Joking that a peacock could not dance properly, He vigorously imitated its dancing and made His friends laugh.
- His friends sang about His pastimes as they walked with Him and Baladeva. With a deep, affectionate voice, Kṛṣṇa called wandering animals by name, enchanting the cows and cowherd boys.
Try this today
Read one of these playful descriptions aloud today as a small act of glorifying Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
How does Kṛṣṇa’s affectionate play help me appreciate His personal care?
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.