Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.26.2
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Supreme Controller Chooses His Circumstances
“[The cowherd men said:] Since this boy performs such extraordinary activities, how could He warrant a birth among worldly men like us — a birth that for Him would seem contemptible?”
What the purport teaches
- The cowherd men wondered why a boy who performed such extraordinary activities would take birth among worldly people like themselves.
- An ordinary living being cannot avoid unpleasant circumstances. The supreme controller is not subject to that limitation.
- The supreme controller can always make perfect arrangements for His pleasure. His circumstances should not be judged as though He were an ordinary living being.
Try this today
Reread the purport and pause to reflect on Kṛṣṇa’s freedom to arrange His own pleasure.
Ask yourself
How does this distinction change the way you think about Kṛṣṇa’s birth among the cowherd people?
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.