Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.45.35-36
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Sources of Knowledge Honor Their Teacher
“O King, those best of persons, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, being Themselves the original promulgators of all varieties of knowledge, could immediately assimilate each and every subject after hearing it explained just once. Thus with fixed concentration They learned the sixty-four arts and skills in as many days and nights. Thereafter, O King, They satisfied Their spiritual master by offering him guru-dakṣiṇā.”
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma are the original promulgators of all varieties of knowledge. They could fully understand each subject after hearing it explained just once.
- With fixed concentration, They mastered sixty-four arts and skills in sixty-four days and nights. These included singing, painting, carpentry, medicine, conversation, and composing verses.
- After completing Their studies, They satisfied Their spiritual master by offering guru-dakṣiṇā. Their mastery of knowledge was accompanied by honoring Their teacher.
Try this today
Study without distractions for five minutes, then thank someone who has helped you learn.
Ask yourself
How can I combine attentive learning with gratitude toward my teacher?
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.