Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.9.5
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa Guides the Order of Service
“Mother Yaśodā then embraced Kṛṣṇa, allowed Him to sit down on her lap, and began to look upon the face of the Lord with great love and affection. Because of her intense affection, milk was flowing from her breast. But when she saw that the milk pan on the oven was boiling over, she immediately left her son to take care of the overflowing milk, although the child was not yet fully satisfied with drinking the milk of His mother’s breast.”
What the purport teaches
- Everything in mother Yaśodā’s household was meant for Kṛṣṇa. Saving the overflowing milk was also service to Him.
- Sometimes several important duties serve the same purpose. Mother Yaśodā was not unjust in setting Kṛṣṇa down to care for the milk.
- On the platform of love and affection, a devotee must do one thing first and other things later. Kṛṣṇa gives the understanding needed to decide what to do next.
Try this today
Before beginning two tasks today, pause to ask for Kṛṣṇa’s guidance about which to do first in His service.
Ask yourself
When duties compete, how can you keep service to Kṛṣṇa as their shared purpose?
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.