Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.4.18
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionThe Lord Protects and Delivers
“In His appearance as a fish, the Lord protected Satyavrata Manu, the earth and her valuable herbs. He protected them from the waters of annihilation. As a boar, the Lord killed Hiraṇyākṣa, the son of Diti, while delivering the earth from the universal waters. And as a tortoise, He lifted Mandara Mountain on His back so that nectar could be churned from the ocean. The Lord saved the surrendered king of the elephants, Gajendra, who was suffering terrible distress from the grips of a crocodile.”
What the purport teaches
- As a fish, the Lord protected Satyavrata Manu, the earth and her valuable herbs from the waters of annihilation.
- As a boar, the Lord killed Hiraṇyākṣa while delivering the earth from the universal waters. As a tortoise, He supported Mandara Mountain so that nectar could be churned from the ocean.
- The Lord freed Gajendra, the surrendered king of the elephants, from the crocodile. In his terrible distress, Gajendra received the Lord’s protection.
Try this today
Offer a short prayer expressing your wish to take shelter of the Lord.
Ask yourself
What does Gajendra’s surrender teach you about turning to the Lord in distress?
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.