Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.1.2
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa Protects and Empowers His Devotees
“Because the sons of Pāṇḍu were enraged by the numerous offenses of their enemies, such as duplicitous gambling, verbal insults, the seizing of Draupadī’s hair, and many other cruel transgressions, the Supreme Lord engaged those Pāṇḍavas as the immediate cause to execute His will. On the pretext of the Battle of Kurukṣetra, Lord Kṛṣṇa arranged for all the kings who were burdening the earth to assemble with their armies on opposite sides of the battlefield, and when the Lord killed them through the agency of war, the earth was relieved of its burden.”
What the purport teaches
- The Pāṇḍavas endured repeated cruelty from their enemies. Throughout these dangers, Kṛṣṇa protected them because they were fully surrendered to Him and knew no other shelter.
- Kṛṣṇa empowered Arjuna and the other Pāṇḍavas to remove the impious kings. Acting personally, through Balarāma, and through His devotees, He reestablished religious principles.
- Some great devotees appeared to oppose the Lord but returned to His abode in their original spiritual bodies when killed. Because God is absolute, His killing both removes demons and encourages His pure devotees.
Try this today
Take a quiet moment to tell Kṛṣṇa about one difficulty and ask for help to remain devoted to His service.
Ask yourself
What can the Pāṇḍavas’ reliance on Kṛṣṇa teach me about seeking shelter during difficulty?
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.