Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.47.57
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesHonor Love Beyond Outward Position
“Thus seeing how the gopīs were always disturbed because of their total absorption in Kṛṣṇa, Uddhava was supremely pleased. Desiring to offer them all respect, he sang as follows.”
What the purport teaches
- The gopīs’ mental disturbance is not ordinary material distress. Uddhava is supremely pleased because they have attained the highest state of loving ecstasy.
- Although Uddhava is an important minister in Dvārakā, he feels moved to offer obeisances to these apparently ordinary cowherd girls.
- He sings to express his respect for their total absorption in Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says he sings these verses daily in Vṛndāvana.
Try this today
Take a moment to honor someone’s sincere devotion without considering their social position.
Ask yourself
Do outward position and prestige ever distract you from appreciating devotion?
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.