Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.8.29
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa’s Smile Makes Anger Disappear
“Our dear friend Yaśodā, your son sometimes comes to our houses before the milking of the cows and releases the calves, and when the master of the house becomes angry, your son merely smiles. Sometimes He devises some process by which He steals palatable curd, butter and milk, which He then eats and drinks. When the monkeys assemble, He divides it with them, and when the monkeys have their bellies so full that they won’t take more, He breaks the pots. Sometimes, if He gets no opportunity to steal butter or milk from a house, He will be angry at the householders, and for His revenge He will agitate the small children by pinching them. Then, when the children begin crying, Kṛṣṇa will go away.
What the purport teaches
- The neighbors presented Kṛṣṇa’s childhood activities to mother Yaśodā as complaints. He released the calves before milking time, allowing them to drink their mothers’ milk.
- When the cowherd men tried to catch Him for stealing butter and curd, Kṛṣṇa simply smiled. Seeing His smile, they forgot everything.
- Kṛṣṇa had no need to eat butter, since His belly was always full. Still, He ate it, shared it with monkeys or broke the pots; when He found nothing to steal, He sometimes pinched sleeping children and went away as they cried.
Try this today
Recall the moment when Kṛṣṇa smiled and the cowherd men forgot their anger.
Ask yourself
What does the neighbors’ response to Kṛṣṇa’s smile help you notice about His attractiveness?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.