Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.49.28
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesTake Responsibility, Not Shelter in Fate
“Who can defy the injunctions of the Supreme Lord, who has now descended in the Yadu dynasty to diminish the earth’s burden?”
What the purport teaches
- Dhṛtarāṣṭra acknowledges that no one can defy the Supreme Lord's injunctions. The Lord has descended in the Yadu dynasty to diminish the earth's burden.
- Dhṛtarāṣṭra feels helpless because events are already in motion, but his own attachment and sinful tendencies helped set them in motion. The Supreme Lord does not accept responsibility for anyone's sinful activities.
- Blaming improper conduct on destiny is dangerous; the Lord's pastimes teach us to act properly. Taking Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously creates an auspicious future for ourselves and our associates.
Try this today
Choose one improper action you have been excusing and take one concrete step to correct it today.
Ask yourself
Where am I using circumstances or fate to avoid responsibility for my conduct?
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.