Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.4.39
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord’s Pastimes Exceed Complete Description
“O best of the Kurus, I have related to you these narrations of the pastimes of Lord Nārāyaṇa, the creator of this world and the ultimate reservoir of all existence, presenting them to you only in brief summary. Even Lord Brahmā himself would be incapable of describing them entirely.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Nārāyaṇa is the creator of this world and the ultimate reservoir of all existence.
- These narrations of His pastimes have been presented only in brief summary.
- Even Lord Brahmā cannot describe the Lord’s pastimes entirely.
Try this today
Reread the translation slowly, pausing to reflect on Lord Nārāyaṇa as the reservoir of all existence.
Ask yourself
How can you approach these narrations with humility, knowing that even Lord Brahmā cannot describe them fully?
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.