Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.3.1-5
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord’s Appearance Brings Peace and Joy
“Thereafter, at the auspicious time for the appearance of the Lord, the entire universe was surcharged with all the qualities of goodness, beauty and peace. The constellation Rohiṇī appeared, as did stars like Aśvinī. The sun, the moon and the other stars and planets were very peaceful. All directions appeared extremely pleasing, and the beautiful stars twinkled in the cloudless sky. Decorated with towns, villages, mines and pasturing grounds, the earth seemed all-auspicious. The rivers flowed with clear water, and the lakes and vast reservoirs, full of lilies and lotuses, were extraordinarily beautiful. In the trees and green plants, full of flowers and leaves, pleasing to the eyes, birds like cuckoos and swarms of bees began chanting with sweet voices for the sake of the demigods. A pure breeze began to blow, pleasing the sense of touch and bearing the aroma of flowers, and when the brāhmaṇas engaging in ritualistic ceremonies ignited their fires according to Vedic principles, the fires burned steadily, undisturbed by the breeze. Thus when the birthless Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was about to appear, the saints and brāhmaṇas, who had always been disturbed by demons like Kaṁsa and his men, felt peace within the core of their hearts, and kettledrums simultaneously vibrated from the upper planetary system.”
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa’s appearance and activities are transcendental. Unlike an ordinary person, He is not forced to accept a material body by past deeds but appears out of His own sweet pleasure.
- At the Lord’s appearance, the planetary systems automatically became auspicious. Throughout the universe there were signs of goodness, beauty and peace.
- The brāhmaṇas and devotees, previously disturbed by Kaṁsa, became joyful and undisturbed. They could again perform their worship with peaceful minds.
Try this today
Reread the description of the peaceful atmosphere and spend one quiet minute remembering Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental appearance.
Ask yourself
How does knowing that Kṛṣṇa appears by His own pleasure deepen my understanding of His birth?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.