Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.86.9
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesArjuna Acts With Kṛṣṇa’s Sanction
“Once, on the occasion of a great temple festival in honor of the Supreme Lord, Subhadrā rode out of the fortresslike palace on a chariot, and at that time the mighty chariot warrior Arjuna took the opportunity to kidnap her. Subhadrā’s parents and Kṛṣṇa had sanctioned this.”
What the purport teaches
- During a great temple festival honoring the Supreme Lord, Subhadrā rode out of the fortresslike palace on a chariot.
- Arjuna seized the opportunity to kidnap her. Her parents and Kṛṣṇa had sanctioned this.
- Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī identifies the festival as the annual Ratha-yātrā for Lord Viṣṇu, marking His rising from mystic sleep at the end of Cāturmāsya. Subhadrā’s parents were Vasudeva and Devakī.
Try this today
Note the festival’s purpose and who had sanctioned Arjuna’s action.
Ask yourself
Why is the explicit mention of Kṛṣṇa’s and her parents’ sanction important to this account?
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.