Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.30.12
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesSeeing Trees Bow Before Kṛṣṇa
“O trees, we see that you are bowing down. When the younger brother of Rāma walked by here, followed by intoxicated bees swarming around the tulasī mañjarīs decorating His garland, did He acknowledge your obeisances with His affectionate glances? He must have been resting His arm on the shoulder of His beloved and carrying a lotus flower in His free hand.”
What the purport teaches
- The gopīs saw trees bent with abundant fruits and flowers as offering obeisances to Lord Kṛṣṇa. They supposed He had recently passed because the trees were still bowing.
- Jealous that Kṛṣṇa had gone with His favorite consort, they imagined Him resting His arm on Her soft shoulder.
- They imagined Him carrying a blue lotus to drive bees away from His beloved’s fragrant face. The scene seemed so beautiful that the bees had left the tulasī garden to follow Them.
Try this today
Offer one deliberate bow to Lord Kṛṣṇa today, remembering the trees laden with fruits and flowers.
Ask yourself
How does the image of the bowing trees help you think about offering respect to Kṛṣṇa?
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.