Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.39.56-57
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesDevotion Finds Expression in Attentive Prayer
“As the great devotee Akrūra beheld all this, he became extremely pleased and felt enthused with transcendental devotion. His intense ecstasy caused His bodily hairs to stand on end and tears to flow from his eyes, drenching his entire body. Somehow managing to steady himself, Akrūra bowed his head to the ground. Then he joined his palms in supplication and, in a voice choked with emotion, very slowly and attentively began to pray.”
What the purport teaches
- Seeing all this, Akrūra became extremely pleased and enthused with transcendental devotion.
- His intense ecstasy made his bodily hairs stand on end. Tears flowed from his eyes and drenched his entire body.
- Steadying himself, Akrūra bowed his head to the ground and joined his palms in supplication. With a voice choked with emotion, he began to pray very slowly and attentively.
Try this today
Join your palms and offer a brief prayer to the Lord, speaking slowly and attending to each word.
Ask yourself
What can you learn from Akrūra’s care to pray slowly and attentively?
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.