Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.70.30
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionKṛṣṇa’s Apparent Defeat Does Not Limit Him
“O wielder of the disc! Your strength is unlimited, and thus seventeen times You crushed Jarāsandha in battle. But then, absorbed in human affairs, You allowed him to defeat You once. Now he is so filled with pride that he dares to torment us, Your subjects. O unconquerable one, please rectify this situation.”
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa crushed Jarāsandha seventeen times, then allowed an apparent defeat while playing the role of a human king.
- The Lord’s power, strength, resources and authority are unlimited. No one can equal or surpass Him, and Jarāsandha could never truly defeat Him.
- Jarāsandha misunderstood the Lord’s human behavior and became proud of his material power. The imprisoned kings, harassed as Kṛṣṇa’s surrendered devotees, beg Him to make the proper arrangement.
Try this today
Reread the kings’ address, “O unconquerable one,” and offer one concern to Kṛṣṇa in prayer.
Ask yourself
How does remembering Kṛṣṇa’s unlimited power help me look beyond outward appearances?
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.