Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.83.18
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesCompassion Supports a Devotional Desire
“My father, Bṛhatsena, was by nature compassionate to his daughter, and knowing how I felt, O saintly lady, he arranged to fulfill my desire.”
What the purport teaches
- Lakṣmaṇā describes her father, Bṛhatsena, as naturally compassionate toward his daughter.
- He understood how she felt. His care included knowing the desire of her heart.
- Knowing her desire, he arranged a means to fulfill it. In this account, his affection supported her wish to obtain the Lord.
Try this today
Ask someone about one devotional wish they have, and listen with care.
Ask yourself
How can I better understand and support someone’s desire to draw closer to the Lord?
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.