Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.18.24
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesBrahmā Requests an End to Wickedness
“Lord Brahmā continued: My dear Lord, there is no need to play with this serpentine demon, who is always very skilled in conjuring tricks and is arrogant, self-sufficient and most wicked.”
What the purport teaches
- Brahmā described the demon as skilled in conjuring tricks, arrogant, self-sufficient and most wicked.
- The Lord could have killed the demon at once, but instead He played with him. The purport compares this to a child playing with a serpent.
- Brahmā considered the demon more wicked and undesirable than a serpent. He therefore requested that the Lord kill him without delay.
Try this today
Read Brahmā’s request once more, remembering that the Lord was fully able to defeat the demon.
Ask yourself
How does the Lord’s ability to end the combat at once shape your understanding of this scene?
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.