Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.77.17-18
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesŚālva Insults and Threatens Kṛṣṇa
“[Śālva said:] You fool! Because in our presence You kidnapped the bride of our friend Śiśupāla, Your own cousin, and because You later murdered him in the sacred assembly while he was inattentive, today with my sharp arrows I will send You to the land of no return! Though You think Yourself invincible, I will kill You now if You dare stand before me.”
What the purport teaches
- Śālva insulted Lord Kṛṣṇa and accused Him of taking the bride of Śiśupāla, Śālva’s friend and Kṛṣṇa’s cousin.
- He also accused Kṛṣṇa of murdering Śiśupāla in the sacred assembly while Śiśupāla was inattentive. These are Śālva’s hostile words, not a neutral description.
- Śālva claimed that his sharp arrows would kill Kṛṣṇa and challenged Him to stand before him.
Try this today
Read the passage with the reminder, “These are Śālva’s accusations and threats,” rather than adopting his judgment of the Lord.
Ask yourself
How does recognizing Śālva as the speaker affect the way you understand these accusations?
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.