Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.7.33
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionRecognize the Lord Through Authoritative Scripture
“When the Lord was engaged in His pastimes of the rāsa dance in the forest of Vṛndāvana, enlivening the sexual desires of the wives of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana by sweet and melodious songs, a demon of the name Śaṅkhacūḍa, a rich follower of the treasurer of heaven [Kuvera], kidnapped the damsels, and the Lord severed his head from his trunk.”
What the purport teaches
- Brahmājī spoke to Nārada about events that would occur during Lord Kṛṣṇa's future appearance. Experts who can see past, present and future know the Lord's pastimes.
- The rāsa dance and the killing of Śaṅkhacūḍa are described together, but they were not simultaneous. The Lord killed Śaṅkhacūḍa after the rāsa-līlā.
- The Lord's appearances and activities are generally foretold in scripture. Knowledge of these authoritative descriptions protects one from being cheated by false incarnations.
Try this today
Reread the purport's final paragraph and note how scripture helps distinguish the Lord's incarnations from false claims.
Ask yourself
Why is scriptural knowledge important when considering someone's claim to be an incarnation?
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.