Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.4.17
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord Descends to Teach Self-Realization
“The infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, has descended into this world by His various partial incarnations such as Lord Haṁsa [the swan], Dattātreya, the four Kumāras and our own father, the mighty Ṛṣabhadeva. By such incarnations, the Lord teaches the science of self-realization for the benefit of the whole universe. In His appearance as Hayagrīva He killed the demon Madhu and thus brought the Vedas back from the hellish planet Pātālaloka.”
What the purport teaches
- Viṣṇu, the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead, descends through various partial incarnations. These include Lord Haṁsa, Dattātreya, the four Kumāras and Ṛṣabhadeva.
- Through these incarnations, the Lord teaches self-realization for the benefit of the whole universe. The purport also describes Hari appearing as a young brahmacārī named Kumāra and teaching transcendental knowledge to Sanat-kumāra.
- As Hayagrīva, the Lord killed the demon Madhu. He brought the Vedas back from the hellish planet Pātālaloka.
Try this today
Spend a few minutes rereading this verse, reflecting on the Lord’s kindness in teaching self-realization.
Ask yourself
How does knowing that the Lord teaches for everyone’s welfare affect my willingness to learn?
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.