Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.7.13
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKnow the Lord Through Authentic Scripture
“The primeval Lord then assumed the tortoise incarnation in order to serve as a resting place [pivot] for the Mandara Mountain, which was acting as a churning rod. The demigods and demons were churning the Ocean of Milk with the Mandara Mountain in order to extract nectar. The mountain moved back and forth, scratching the back of Lord Tortoise, who, while partially sleeping, was experiencing an itching sensation.”
What the purport teaches
- Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives information beyond our present experience, including the existence of the Ocean of Milk. The Vedic process is to receive knowledge through authentic scriptures and follow great authorities.
- The primeval Lord is all-powerful and can do whatever He likes. His assuming a tortoise or fish incarnation for a particular purpose is therefore not astonishing.
- To help the demigods, the Lord became a gigantic tortoise supporting Mandara Mountain during the churning. The moving mountain scratched His back while He was partially sleeping.
Try this today
Read this translation once more, noting one detail beyond your experience and the purport’s guidance for understanding it.
Ask yourself
How can you approach scriptural descriptions that lie beyond your personal experience?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.