Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.16.26
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionThe Lord’s Associates Serve His Plan
“The Lord replied: O brāhmaṇas, know that the punishment you inflicted on them was originally ordained by Me, and therefore they will fall to a birth in a demoniac family. But they will be firmly united with Me in thought through mental concentration intensified by anger, and they will return to My presence shortly.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord explained that the curse upon Jaya and Vijaya was ordained by Him. Nothing can happen without His sanction.
- There are no enemies in Vaikuṇṭha, where everyone fully serves the Lord. To manifest His fighting pastimes, He selected His own associates to play the part of enemies in the material world.
- Their apparent enmity was temporary, like a role on a stage, and they would soon return to Him. The purport concludes that no one falls from Vaikuṇṭha, the eternal abode.
Try this today
Spend one minute remembering the Lord and offering your wish to serve Him.
Ask yourself
How does knowing that Jaya and Vijaya remained the Lord’s associates change my understanding of their departure?
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.