Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.8.29
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesAsk Sincerely and Learn Systematically
“He also prepared himself to reply to all that King Parīkṣit had inquired from him. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was the best in the dynasty of the Pāṇḍus, and thus he was able to ask the right questions from the right person.”
What the purport teaches
- Mahārāja Parīkṣit asked the right questions of the right person. His many inquiries expressed a desire to know things as they are.
- A teacher need not answer questions in the order the disciple asks them. An experienced teacher can arrange the answers systematically.
- Śukadeva Gosvāmī answered according to the knowledge received through the chain of disciplic succession. He answered every question without exception.
Try this today
Write down one sincere question from your study today, and keep it for discussion with a qualified teacher.
Ask yourself
Can I patiently follow a qualified teacher’s explanation, even when my questions are not answered in my preferred order?
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.