Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.23.43-44
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesDevotion Grows Through Hearing With Devotees
“These women have never undergone the purificatory rites of the twice-born classes, nor have they lived as brahmacārīs in the āśrama of a spiritual master, nor have they executed austerities, speculated on the nature of the self, followed the formalities of cleanliness or engaged in pious rituals. Nevertheless, they have firm devotion for Lord Kṛṣṇa, whose glories are chanted by the exalted hymns of the Vedas and who is the supreme master of all masters of mystic power. We, on the other hand, have no such devotion for the Lord, although we have executed all these processes.”
What the purport teaches
- The wives had firm devotion for Lord Kṛṣṇa without having undergone the religious training and rituals their husbands had completed.
- They had associated with residents of Vṛndāvana and heard about Kṛṣṇa’s beauty and qualities. Their husbands were unaware of this association.
- Their loving devotion developed through hearing and chanting about the Lord in the association of His pure devotees. Religious accomplishments alone had not given their husbands such devotion.
Try this today
Spend five minutes hearing about Kṛṣṇa’s beauty or qualities from a devotee.
Ask yourself
Am I giving hearing about Kṛṣṇa the attention I give to outward religious practices?
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.