Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.4.12
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord Mercifully Removes False Prestige
“While the demigods were thus praising the Supreme Lord, the all-powerful Lord suddenly manifested before their eyes many women, who were astonishingly gorgeous, decorated with fine clothes and ornaments, and all faithfully engaging in the Lord’s service.”
What the purport teaches
- While the demigods praised Him, the all-powerful Lord manifested many astonishingly beautiful women. They were finely dressed and faithfully engaged in His service.
- The demigods had been proud of their beauty and female companions. The Lord revealed women far more beautiful than any companions they could imagine.
- Nara-Nārāyaṇa manifested these women through His own mystic potency. By relieving the demigods of false prestige, He showed them causeless mercy.
Try this today
Notice one quality you feel proud of, and reflect on the Lord’s greatness rather than your own superiority.
Ask yourself
Can I recognize the loss of false prestige as a form of the Lord’s mercy?
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.