Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.38.37-38
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesWelcome Others with Respectful Care
“As Akrūra stood with his head bowed, Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa [Balarāma] grasped his joined hands, and then Balarāma took him to His house in the company of Lord Kṛṣṇa. After inquiring from Akrūra whether his trip had been comfortable, Balarāma offered him a first-class seat, bathed his feet in accordance with the injunctions of scripture and respectfully served him milk with honey.”
What the purport teaches
- Akrūra stood with his head bowed, and Lord Balarāma grasped his joined hands. Together with Lord Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma brought him home.
- Balarāma asked whether Akrūra’s journey had been comfortable and offered him a first-class seat.
- Balarāma bathed Akrūra’s feet according to scriptural injunctions and respectfully served him milk with honey.
Try this today
Welcome someone today by offering a seat and asking sincerely how their journey was.
Ask yourself
How could your welcome show genuine concern for another person’s comfort?
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.