Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.16.13-15
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa Was Their Very Life
“Seeing the inauspicious omens, Nanda Mahārāja and the other cowherd men were fearful, for they knew that Kṛṣṇa had gone to herd the cows that day without His elder brother, Balarāma. Because they had dedicated their minds to Kṛṣṇa, accepting Him as their very life, they were unaware of His great power and opulence. Thus they concluded that the inauspicious omens indicated He had met with death, and they were overwhelmed with grief, lamentation and fear. All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, including the children, women and elderly persons, thought of Kṛṣṇa just as a cow thinks of her helpless young calf, and thus these poor, suffering people rushed out of the village, intent upon finding Him.”
What the purport teaches
- Nanda Mahārāja and the other cowherd men feared for Kṛṣṇa because He had gone to herd the cows without Balarāma.
- They had dedicated their minds to Kṛṣṇa and accepted Him as their very life. Unaware of His great power and opulence, they feared that the omens meant He had died.
- Children, women and elderly persons all rushed out to find Him. They thought of Kṛṣṇa as a cow thinks of her helpless young calf.
Try this today
Set aside one minute today to turn your attention fully toward Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
What does accepting Kṛṣṇa as one’s very life mean to you?
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.