Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.77.24
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa Questions the Disturbing Report
“[Lord Kṛṣṇa said:] Balarāma is ever vigilant, and no demigod or demon can defeat Him. So how could this insignificant Śālva defeat Him and abduct My father? Indeed, fate is all-powerful!”
What the purport teaches
- Kṛṣṇa describes Balarāma as ever vigilant and undefeatable by any demigod or demon.
- He asks how the insignificant Śālva could have defeated Balarāma and abducted His father.
- His words, “fate is all-powerful,” express the apparent helplessness within this humanlike exchange.
Try this today
Identify the two qualities of Balarāma that Kṛṣṇa gives as reasons to question the report.
Ask yourself
Why does Kṛṣṇa’s description of Balarāma make the report seem so unlikely?
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.