Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.45.38
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesNature’s Governor Recognizes the Supreme Lords
“So be it,” replied those two great chariot warriors of limitless might, and They at once mounted Their chariot and set off for Prabhāsa. When They reached that place, They walked up to the shore and sat down. In a moment the deity of the ocean, recognizing Them to be the Supreme Lords, approached Them with offerings of tribute.
What the purport teaches
- The two Lords of limitless might accepted the request and immediately departed for Prabhāsa.
- The deity of the ocean recognized Them as the Supreme Lords and approached with tribute. Here “the ocean” means the person who governs that aspect of physical nature.
- The purport compares this usage to saying that a country votes when its representative votes. Such language should not be dismissed as primitive mythology.
Try this today
Reread “the deity of the ocean,” remembering that it refers to a personal governor, not merely water.
Ask yourself
Do I try to understand the text’s meaning before judging its descriptions of nature?
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.