Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.46.6
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesSustained by Kṛṣṇa’s Promise
“Simply because I have promised to return to them, My fully devoted cowherd girlfriends struggle to maintain their lives somehow or other.”
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa’s fully devoted cowherd girlfriends barely maintained their lives. His promise to return gave them reason to continue.
- The gopīs were manifestations of Kṛṣṇa’s internal nature, His supreme pleasure potency. They existed entirely for His pleasure and attracted Him by their pure love.
- Nanda Mahārāja and mother Yaśodā also had exalted love for Kṛṣṇa and could barely maintain their lives without Him. Uddhava would give them special attention.
Try this today
Pause for a minute to reflect on how completely the gopīs’ lives centered on Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure.
Ask yourself
What does this verse reveal about the depth of the residents’ love for Kṛṣṇa?
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.