Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.60.39
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesChoose Kṛṣṇa With Clear Understanding
“Knowing that great sages who have renounced the sannyāsī’s daṇḍa proclaim Your glories, that You are the Supreme Soul of all the worlds, and that You are so gracious that You give away even Your own self, I chose You as my husband, rejecting Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and the rulers of heaven, whose aspirations are all frustrated by the force of time, which is born from Your eyebrows. What interest, then, could I have in any other suitors?”
What the purport teaches
- Those who glorify Kṛṣṇa are not merely beggars but sages in the paramahaṁsa stage. They have reached the highest spiritual advancement and given up the sannyāsī’s rod.
- Rukmiṇī chose Kṛṣṇa because she understood His glories. He is the Supreme Soul of all worlds and is so gracious that He gives even Himself.
- Even Brahmā, Śiva and the rulers of heaven have their hopes frustrated by time, which comes from Kṛṣṇa. Rukmiṇī’s choice therefore showed deep insight, not a lack of foresight.
Try this today
Write down one quality of Kṛṣṇa from this verse and reflect on why it makes Him worthy of your devotion.
Ask yourself
Which of Kṛṣṇa’s qualities mentioned here strengthens my desire to choose Him?
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.