Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.57.32
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Elders Recall Śvaphalka’s Influence
“[The elders said:] Previously, when Lord Indra had withheld rain from Kāsī [Benares], the king of that city gave his daughter Gāndinī to Śvaphalka, who was then visiting him. It soon rained in the kingdom of Kāśī.”
What the purport teaches
- When Lord Indra withheld rain, the King of Kāśī gave his daughter Gāndinī to the visiting Śvaphalka. Soon afterward, rain fell in the kingdom.
- Śvaphalka was Akrūra’s father. The citizens felt that the son must have the same power as his father.
- Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains that Akrūra went to Kāśī in a time of difficulty because of his relationship with his maternal grandfather, its king.
Try this today
Reread the verse and purport, noting the event the elders recalled and the conclusion they drew.
Ask yourself
Can I distinguish what the elders remembered from what they inferred about Akrūra?
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.