Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.4.5
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesDevakī Uses Careful Appeals To Protect
“My dear brother, by the influence of destiny you have already killed many babies, each of them as bright and beautiful as fire. But kindly spare this daughter. Give her to me as your gift.”
What the purport teaches
- Devakī first drew Kaṁsa’s attention to his cruel killing of her sons. She then spoke of destiny and begged him to give her the daughter as a gift.
- As the daughter of a kṣatriya, Devakī knew different methods of political appeal. She used direct confrontation, compromise and a request for a gift to try to save the child.
- The purport warns that good instruction can make a foolish person more angry rather than peaceful. Kaṁsa’s cruel nature made him especially difficult to restrain.
Try this today
Before one difficult conversation today, choose a calm, specific request rather than relying only on criticism.
Ask yourself
When trying to prevent harm, do I consider how my words will be received?
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.