Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.17.9
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesRespect an Exalted Devotee’s Position
“In that very lake Garuḍa had once desired to eat a fish — fish being, after all, his normal food. Although forbidden by the sage Saubhari, who was meditating there within the water, Garuḍa took courage and, feeling hungry, seized the fish.”
What the purport teaches
- Hungry Garuḍa seized a fish despite Saubhari’s prohibition. Fish were his normal food, and by the Lord’s arrangement he committed no offense by eating them.
- Saubhari, who was meditating within the water, offended a much greater personality by forbidding him to eat his normal food.
- Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura identifies two offenses: ordering a supremely exalted soul and obstructing him from satisfying his desire.
Try this today
Before making one judgment about a devotee today, pause and consider what you may not understand.
Ask yourself
How can you guard against judging an exalted devotee without understanding the Lord’s arrangement?
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.