Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.2.23 · one of the 108 chosen verses
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionTake Shelter of Kṛṣṇa’s Extraordinary Mercy
“Alas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than He who granted the position of mother to a she-demon [Pūtanā] although she was unfaithful and she prepared deadly poison to be sucked from her breast?”
What the purport teaches
- Pūtanā offered Kṛṣṇa deadly poison, yet He accepted her motherhood because she acted as though she were an affectionate mother. This reveals His extreme mercy even toward an enemy.
- Playing the part of a baby did not diminish Kṛṣṇa’s supremacy. He is always the same Supreme Personality of Godhead, and no living creature can become His equal.
- The Lord accepts the least qualification of a living being and awards the highest reward. Uddhava therefore asks who else could be the ultimate shelter.
Try this today
Offer a brief, sincere prayer asking Kṛṣṇa for shelter in His mercy.
Ask yourself
How does Kṛṣṇa’s willingness to accept even the least qualification encourage me to take shelter of Him?
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.