Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.4.8
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord Remains Eternally Blissful
“The Lord was sitting, taking rest against a young banyan tree, with His right lotus foot on His left thigh, and although He had left all household comforts, He looked quite cheerful in that posture.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord rested against a young banyan tree, with His right lotus foot on His left thigh. Though He had left household comforts, He remained cheerful.
- The banyan tree represents material energies, products of His external potency, kept behind His back. Its small size represents this universe as the smallest of all.
- The Lord had finished His pastimes in this universe and was prepared to go to another. Because He is absolute and eternally blissful, accepting or leaving something does not change His condition.
Try this today
Reflect for one minute on the Lord’s cheerful posture and His unchanging bliss.
Ask yourself
How does the Lord’s cheerfulness reveal that His bliss does not depend on household comforts?
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.