Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 10.90.15
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Queens See Their Longing Reflected
“The queens said: O kurarī bird, you are lamenting. Now it is night, and somewhere in this world the Supreme Lord is asleep in a hidden place. But you are wide awake, O friend, unable to fall asleep. Is it that, like us, you have had your heart pierced to the core by the lotus-eyed Lord’s munificent, playful smiling glances?”
What the purport teaches
- The queens addressed the wakeful kurarī bird as a friend, asking whether Kṛṣṇa’s playful, smiling glances had pierced her heart as they had theirs.
- Their transcendental madness filled them with such ecstasy that they saw their own mood reflected in everyone and everything.
- They imagined the bird grieving over separation from Kṛṣṇa. Speaking from their own longing, they said His whereabouts were unknown and warned the bird not to expect Him to hear her lament.
Try this today
Reread the queens’ question to the kurarī, paying attention to their longing for the Supreme Lord.
Ask yourself
How does recognizing the queens’ intense longing help you understand their words to the bird?
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.