Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.7.6
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord Teaches Austerity for Self-Realization
“To exhibit His personal way of austerity and penance, He appeared in twin forms as Nārāyaṇa and Nara in the womb of Mūrti, the wife of Dharma and the daughter of Dakṣa. Celestial beauties, the companions of Cupid, went to try to break His vows, but they were unsuccessful, for they saw that many beauties like them were emanating from Him, the Personality of Godhead.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord appeared as Nārāyaṇa and Nara to exhibit His personal austerity and penance. Being the source of everything, He is also the origin of all austerities.
- Human life is meant for tapasya, or disciplined austerity, for self-realization. The purport stresses celibacy and warns that sexual attraction and desires for possessions can impede this aim.
- The celestial beauties could not break the Lord’s vows, for innumerable beauties emanated from His own potency. Lord Kṛṣṇa’s activities should therefore not be mistaken for attraction to material beauty.
Try this today
Set aside one unnecessary pleasure today and use that moment to reflect on self-realization.
Ask yourself
Which desire for enjoyment or possessions most distracts me from self-realization?
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.