Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.2.28
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa Is Everyone’s Life and Soul
“When the Lord displayed His activities just suitable for childhood, He was visible only to the residents of Vṛndāvana. Sometimes He would cry and sometimes laugh, just like a child, and while so doing He would appear like a lion cub.”
What the purport teaches
- To enjoy the Lord’s childhood pastimes, one must follow the residents of Vraja, such as Nanda and Upananda. His crying and laughing filled His devotee parents with transcendental pleasure.
- When demons attacked, Kṛṣṇa sometimes appeared astonished, yet He looked at them like a lion cub and killed them. His companions told their parents, and everyone appreciated His qualities.
- Kṛṣṇa was not only the son of Nanda and Yaśodā but the son of all the elderly inhabitants and the friend of the boys and girls. He was everyone’s life and soul, including the cows and calves.
Try this today
Reread the description of Kṛṣṇa’s crying and laughing, and reflect for a minute on the pleasure it gave His devotee parents.
Ask yourself
What can you learn from the residents of Vraja making Kṛṣṇa their life and soul?
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.