Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.1.59
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesKṛṣṇa Appears to Relieve the World
“That Nara-Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, who is a partial expansion of Kṛṣṇa, has now appeared in the dynasties of Yadu and Kuru, in the forms of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna respectively, to mitigate the burden of the world.”
What the purport teaches
- Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Nara is a portion of Nārāyaṇa. The purport describes them as the energetic and His energy.
- Nara appeared as Arjuna in the Kuru dynasty, and Nārāyaṇa appeared as Kṛṣṇa in the Yadu dynasty.
- Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His appearance was meant to deliver suffering humanity from the pains of material burdens.
Try this today
Spend one minute reflecting on Kṛṣṇa’s purpose of relieving the world’s burden.
Ask yourself
What does the Lord’s purpose in appearing reveal about His concern for suffering humanity?
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.