Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.42.1
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord Relieves the Earth’s Burden
“Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: As He walked down the King’s road, Lord Mādhava then saw a young hunchback woman with an attractive face, who carried a tray of fragrant ointments as she walked along. The bestower of the ecstasy of love smiled and inquired from her as follows.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Mādhava smiled and spoke to a young hunchbacked woman carrying fragrant ointments. He is the bestower of the ecstasy of love.
- The purport explains that she was a partial expansion of Satyabhāmā, the Lord’s internal energy known as Bhū-śakti. This expansion, Pṛthivī, represents the earth burdened by wicked rulers.
- Kṛṣṇa’s straightening of Trivakrā represents His relieving the earth’s burden. He also awarded her a conjugal relationship with Himself and amused His cowherd friends through their exchange.
Try this today
Spend a minute remembering Lord Mādhava’s smile and His purpose of relieving the earth’s burden.
Ask yourself
What does this encounter help me appreciate about the Lord’s personal care?
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.