Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.4.29
Nirodha· Winding upKṛṣṇa’s Eternal Form Never Changes
“Śukadeva Gosvāmī replied: My dear King, the cursing of the brāhmaṇas was only a plea, but the actual fact was the supreme desire of the Lord. He wanted to disappear from the face of the earth after dispatching His excessively numerous family members. He thought to Himself as follows.”
What the purport teaches
- The brāhmaṇas’ curse was only a plea; the actual cause of the Lord’s departure was His supreme desire. His disappearance was not forced upon Him.
- Kṛṣṇa’s body and Self are identical, eternally full of existence, knowledge and bliss. The purport explains that He withdrew His gigantic universal form, not His primeval, eternal form.
- The Lord reserves the right not to reveal Himself to everyone and cannot be perceived by material senses alone. Devotees realize that the temple Deity is nondifferent from the Lord’s own form.
Try this today
Reread the teaching that Kṛṣṇa’s body and Self are identical, then offer Him a brief, respectful prayer.
Ask yourself
How does knowing that Kṛṣṇa’s form is eternal affect the way I think about His disappearance?
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.