Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.54.35
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesRukmī’s Defeat and Humiliation
“Lord Kṛṣṇa tied up the evil-doer with a strip of cloth. He then proceeded to disfigure Rukmī by comically shaving him, leaving parts of his mustache and hair. By that time the Yadu heroes had crushed the extraordinary army of their opponents, just as elephants crush a lotus flower.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Kṛṣṇa tied the evil-doer Rukmī with a strip of cloth.
- Using His same sharp sword, Kṛṣṇa gave Rukmī a peculiar haircut, leaving parts of his mustache and hair.
- Meanwhile, the Yadu heroes crushed the extraordinary opposing army as elephants crush a lotus flower.
Try this today
Reread the verse slowly, noting how completely Rukmī and the opposing army were defeated.
Ask yourself
What does the defeat described here show me about opposing Lord 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.