Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.54.31
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa Breaks Rukmī’s Sword and Shield
“As Rukmī attacked Him, the Lord shot arrows that broke Rukmī’s sword and shield into small pieces. Kṛṣṇa then took up His own sharp sword and prepared to kill Rukmī.”
What the purport teaches
- As Rukmī attacked, the Lord shot arrows at his sword and shield.
- Kṛṣṇa broke both into small pieces. Rukmī’s weapon and protection could not withstand the Lord’s arrows.
- Kṛṣṇa then took up His own sharp sword and prepared to kill Rukmī. The verse ends with this preparation, not with Rukmī’s death.
Try this today
Offer a brief prayer today to use your strength in Kṛṣṇa’s service rather than in defiance of Him.
Ask yourself
How does the failure of Rukmī’s sword and shield challenge reliance on strength against the Lord?
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.