Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 12.8.47
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesHumble Obeisances to Nara and Nārāyaṇa
“I offer my humble obeisances to Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the all-pervading and all-inclusive form of the universe, as well as its spiritual master. I bow down to Lord Nārāyaṇa, the supremely worshipable Deity appearing as a sage, and also to the saintly Nara, the best of human beings, who is fixed in perfect goodness, fully in control of his speech, and the propagator of the Vedic literatures.”
What the purport teaches
- The prayer offers humble obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the all-pervading and all-inclusive form of the universe.
- Lord Nārāyaṇa is the spiritual master of the universe and the supremely worshipable Deity appearing as a sage.
- The prayer also honors saintly Nara, the best of human beings. He is fixed in perfect goodness, fully controls his speech and propagates the Vedic literatures.
Try this today
Read this prayer aloud once today as an offering of humble obeisances to Nara and Nārāyaṇa.
Ask yourself
How can honoring Nara’s controlled speech encourage me to speak more carefully?
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.