Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.55.40
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesPradyumna’s Beauty Recalls Lord Kṛṣṇa
“It is not astonishing that the palace women, who should have felt maternal affection for Pradyumna, privately felt ecstatic attraction for Him as if He were their own Lord. After all, the son exactly resembled His father. Indeed, Pradyumna was a perfect reflection of the beauty of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the shelter of the goddess of fortune, and appeared before their eyes as Cupid Himself. Since even those on the level of His mother felt conjugal attraction for Him, then what to speak of how other women felt when they saw Him?”
What the purport teaches
- Whenever the palace women saw Śrī Pradyumna, they immediately remembered their Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. His appearance exactly resembled His father’s.
- Although they stood in the position of His mothers, the women mistook Him for Kṛṣṇa and felt bashful conjugal attraction. The purport explains that this was not astonishing, since Pradyumna was factually Cupid himself.
- Pradyumna perfectly reflected the beauty of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the shelter of the goddess of fortune. The focus remains on the beauty of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Try this today
As a small act of devotional service today, reread the description of Kṛṣṇa as the shelter of the goddess of fortune and remember Him.
Ask yourself
How does the purport explain the palace women’s attraction through their remembrance of 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.