Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.55.1
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesPradyumna Is an Expansion of the Lord
“Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Kāmadeva [Cupid], an expansion of Vāsudeva, had previously been burned to ashes by Rudra’s anger. Now, to obtain a new body, he merged back into the body of Lord Vāsudeva.”
What the purport teaches
- Pradyumna, the son of Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī, is also a member of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s eternal fourfold plenary expansion. He can therefore be addressed as the Personality of Godhead.
- The demigod Cupid burned by Rudra is a partial manifestation of Pradyumna. Unable to obtain a new body on his own, he entered within Pradyumna.
- The purport distinguishes the dependent demigod Cupid from Pradyumna’s absolute status. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, enjoys transcendental pastimes with His plenary expansions.
Try this today
As part of your devotional study today, write one sentence distinguishing the demigod Cupid from Lord Pradyumna.
Ask yourself
How does distinguishing Cupid from Pradyumna help me understand the Lord’s position?
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.