Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.85.55-56
Mukti· LiberationContact with the Lord Awakens Identity
“By drinking her nectarean milk, the remnants of what Kṛṣṇa Himself had previously drunk, the six sons touched the transcendental body of the Lord, Nārāyaṇa, and this contact awakened them to their original identities. They bowed down to Govinda, Devakī, their father and Balarāma, and then, as everyone looked on, they left for the abode of the demigods.”
What the purport teaches
- The sons drank Devakī’s nectarean milk, the remnants of what Kṛṣṇa had previously drunk. Contact with the transcendental body of the Lord, Nārāyaṇa, awakened them to their original identities.
- The purport explains that Devakī had nursed Kṛṣṇa once before Vasudeva carried Him away from Kaṁsa’s prison. She did so that He would not become thirsty during the long journey to Nanda-vraja.
- The sons bowed down to Govinda, Devakī, their father and Balarāma. Then, while everyone watched, they departed for the abode of the demigods.
Try this today
Offer a respectful bow to Kṛṣṇa today, remembering the sons’ grateful response.
Ask yourself
How does the sons’ act of bowing down express their response to what they received?
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.