Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.74.3
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa’s Humble Role Reveals His Mercy
“That You, the lotus-eyed Supreme Lord, accept the orders of wretched fools who presume themselves rulers is a great pretense on Your part, O all-pervading one.”
What the purport teaches
- Yudhiṣṭhira admits that rulers can become proud of their paltry positions while remaining poor in heart.
- Although they deserve punishment, Kṛṣṇa kindly and mercifully accepts their orders and carries them out.
- The unlimited Supreme Lord plays the part of an ordinary human like a dramatic artist. His apparent obedience does not make Him an ordinary person.
Try this today
Identify one position you feel proud of, and acknowledge its smallness before unlimited Kṛṣṇa.
Ask yourself
Where might pride in my position keep me from recognizing Kṛṣṇa’s mercy?
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.