Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.3.46
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa Appears Through His Spiritual Energy
“Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: After thus instructing His father and mother, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, remained silent. In their presence, by His internal energy, He then transformed Himself into a small human child. [In other words, He transformed Himself into His original form: kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.]”
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa became a small human child by His own spiritual energy. Unlike an ordinary living being, He is never forced to act by material energy.
- The Lord’s body is eternal, and His appearance and disappearance are acts of His personal energy. Understanding Him requires accepting that His energy is inconceivable, beyond our words and mind.
- The worshipable Deity is still Kṛṣṇa, even when we see wood or stone. By following saintly persons, the spiritual master and authoritative scriptures, one can understand Him and return home, back to Godhead.
Try this today
Reread the translation today, pausing over the words “by His internal energy.”
Ask yourself
Where might I be limiting my understanding of Kṛṣṇa to what seems materially possible?
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.