Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.3.42
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesUnderstanding Devotion Requires Readiness
“Once in the past, in the presence of my father, Mahārāja Ikṣvāku, I placed a similar question before four great sages who were sons of Lord Brahmā. But they did not answer my question. Please explain the reason for this.”
What the purport teaches
- King Nimi recalled asking the sons of Lord Brahmā a similar question in his father's presence. When they did not answer, he sought to understand why.
- The four Kumāras were experts in devotional service. Their silence demonstrated that expertise in speculative knowledge alone does not reveal the actual science of pure devotional service.
- Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains that King Nimi was then a young boy. The sages did not answer because he was not yet mature enough to understand fully.
Try this today
Write down one question about devotional service that you do not yet understand, keeping it for further study rather than rushing to a conclusion.
Ask yourself
How can I approach teachings on devotional service with greater patience and humility?
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.