Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.33.5
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKapila Appears to Guide Fallen Souls
“My dear Lord, You have assumed this body in order to diminish the sinful activities of the fallen and to enrich their knowledge in devotion and liberation. Since these sinful people are dependent on Your direction, by Your own will You assume incarnations as a boar and as other forms. Similarly, You have appeared in order to distribute transcendental knowledge to Your dependents.”
What the purport teaches
- Living entities become conditioned through their desire to lord it over material nature. As they become degraded, they need enlightenment.
- The Lord appears when there are discrepancies in fulfilling the real purpose of material existence. He assumes His incarnations by His own will.
- Lord Kapiladeva is an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He gives misguided souls transcendental knowledge and devotion so that they may go back to Godhead.
Try this today
Read this translation slowly, then offer a short prayer asking for guidance in knowledge and devotion.
Ask yourself
Where do you feel a need for the Lord’s direction rather than your own desire to control?
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.