Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.17.21
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesDanger Surrounds the Sleeping Residents
“During the night, while all the people of Vṛndāvana were asleep, a great fire blazed up within the dry summer forest. The fire surrounded the inhabitants of Vraja on all sides and began to scorch them.”
What the purport teaches
- During the night, a great fire blazed up in the dry summer forest while the people of Vṛndāvana slept.
- The fire surrounded the inhabitants of Vraja on all sides and began to scorch them.
- Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī and Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura suggest possible causes: perhaps a loyal friend of Kāliya became the fire to avenge him, or perhaps a demon following Kaṁsa manifested it.
Try this today
Write down one fact stated in the translation and one possible explanation offered in the purport, keeping the distinction clear.
Ask yourself
Why is it important to preserve the commentators’ word “perhaps” when discussing the fire’s cause?
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.