Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.36.15
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa’s Strength and Tenderness
“Having thus killed the bull demon Ariṣṭa, He who is a festival for the gopīs’ eyes entered the cowherd village with Balarāma.”
What the purport teaches
- This verse shows a sublime contrast in Śrī Kṛṣṇa: He kills a powerful, wicked demon, yet His boyish beauty gives festive pleasure to the gopīs.
- Lord Kṛṣṇa is as hard as a thunderbolt or as soft as a rose, depending on our attitude toward Him.
- Ariṣṭa wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa and His friends, while the gopīs loved Him. The Lord defeated the demon and lovingly reciprocated the gopīs’ conjugal feelings.
Try this today
Take a quiet minute to express your wish to approach Kṛṣṇa with love rather than opposition.
Ask yourself
What attitude am I bringing to my relationship with 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.