Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.7.22
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesLeadership Must Guide Toward God Realization
“When the ruling administrators, who are known as the kṣatriyas, turned astray from the path of the Absolute Truth, being desirous to suffer in hell, the Lord, in His incarnation as the sage Paraśurāma, uprooted those unwanted kings, who appeared as the thorns of the earth. Thus He thrice seven times uprooted the kṣatriyas with His keenly sharpened chopper.”
What the purport teaches
- Ruling administrators are meant to represent the Almighty Personality of Godhead. Whatever the form of government, their prime responsibility is to lead citizens toward God realization.
- The father, spiritual master, and state share responsibility for guiding others toward this goal. Material creation gives fallen souls a chance to return to the will of the Supreme Father.
- When rulers abandoned the path of the Absolute Truth, Lord Paraśurāma chastised them twenty-one times. His appearance shows that rulers are accountable to the Almighty for fostering a godless civilization.
Try this today
Write down one way a responsibility you hold can help you or someone in your care move toward God realization.
Ask yourself
How can I use any responsibility I have to support God realization rather than neglect it?
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.