Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 2.9.44
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam Has Unlimited Spiritual Potency
“Thereupon the supplementary Vedic literature, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which was described by the Personality of Godhead and which contains ten characteristics, was told with satisfaction by the father [Brahmā] to his son Nārada.”
What the purport teaches
- Brahmā happily taught Nārada the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam spoken by the Personality of Godhead. Although first spoken in four verses, it contains ten characteristics.
- The Lord existed before creation and is the root of everything. The remaining verses are not useless; they explain fully what is contained in the four original verses.
- Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the sound representation of the Lord, not ordinary fiction or mundane literature. Following the authorities, one may expand its explanation, yet its unlimited potency can never be exhausted.
Try this today
Reread this translation slowly today, remembering that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the sound representation of the Lord.
Ask yourself
How might seeing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the Lord’s sound representation change the way I read 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.