Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.4.13
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesHeavenly Opulence Fades Before the Lord’s Creation
“When the followers of the demigods gazed upon the fascinating mystic beauty of the women created by Nara-Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi and smelled the fragrance of their bodies, the minds of these followers became bewildered. Indeed, upon seeing the beauty and magnificence of such women, the representatives of the demigods were completely diminished in their own opulence.”
What the purport teaches
- The followers of the demigods gazed upon the fascinating mystic beauty of the women created by Nara-Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi.
- The women’s beauty and bodily fragrance bewildered the minds of these followers.
- Before such beauty and magnificence, the representatives of the demigods were completely diminished in their own opulence.
Try this today
Read the translation once slowly, noticing how the Lord’s creation diminished the visitors’ sense of their own opulence.
Ask yourself
What does this comparison reveal about taking pride in personal beauty or opulence?
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.