Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.24.32-33
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesLoving Service Is Life’s Substance
“The cowherd community then did all that Madhusūdana had suggested. They arranged for the brāhmaṇas to recite the auspicious Vedic mantras, and using the paraphernalia that had been intended for Indra’s sacrifice, they presented offerings to Govardhana Hill and the brāhmaṇas with reverential respect. They also gave grass to the cows. Then, placing the cows, bulls and calves in front of them, they circumambulated Govardhana.”
What the purport teaches
- The residents of Vṛndāvana were simply devoted to Lord Kṛṣṇa; that was the sum and substance of their existence. Out of intense affection, they did exactly what He requested.
- They were not ultimately concerned with Indra, ritualistic sacrifice or the mechanistic philosophy Kṛṣṇa had spoken. They respectfully offered to Govardhana Hill and the brāhmaṇas, fed the cows and circumambulated the hill.
- Their simple love was neither ignorance nor small-mindedness: Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Absolute Truth, the cause of all causes. Their absorption in His loving service made them most fortunate, intelligent and pragmatic.
Try this today
Set aside two minutes today for devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, with the intention of serving out of affection rather than merely completing a duty.
Ask yourself
What would it mean to make loving service to Kṛṣṇa the substance of my day?
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.