Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.55.7-8
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesMāyāvatī Recognizes Her Husband
“Māyāvatī was in fact Cupid’s renowned wife, Rati. While waiting for her husband to obtain a new body — his previous one having been burnt up — she had been assigned by Śambara to prepare vegetables and rice. Māyāvatī understood that this infant was actually Kāmadeva, and thus she began to feel love for Him.”
What the purport teaches
- Māyāvatī was actually Rati, Cupid’s renowned wife. She had worshiped Lord Śiva so that her husband could obtain another body.
- Śambara asked Śiva for Rati as his benediction, and Śiva complied. Śiva consoled her by saying that she would attain her desire in Śambara’s home.
- Taking the name Māyāvatī, Rati bewildered Śambara with her deluding power and remained untouched in his house, preparing vegetables and rice. Recognizing the infant as Kāmadeva, she began to feel love for Him.
Try this today
Write a short identity note: “Māyāvatī is Rati, the wife of Cupid.”
Ask yourself
How does knowing Māyāvatī’s identity help me understand her love for the child?
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.