Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.10.14
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesA Devotee’s Reversal Is Not Defeat
“All the Siddhas from the higher planetary systems were observing the fight from the sky, and when they saw that Dhruva Mahārāja had been covered by the incessant arrows of the enemy, they roared tumultuously, “The grandson of Manu, Dhruva, is now lost!” They cried that Dhruva Mahārāja was just like the sun and that now he had set within the ocean of the Yakṣas.”
What the purport teaches
- All human society descends from Manu, the lawgiver in Vedic civilization. Dhruva Mahārāja is a distinguished mānava because he is a great devotee.
- The Supreme Lord protects His devotee. The demigods and even ordinary people are also anxious for the devotee’s security and safety.
- The Siddhas feared that Dhruva Mahārāja was lost, like the sun sinking into an ocean. Yet the sun does not actually drown, and a reversal in battle did not mean Dhruva was defeated.
Try this today
Take a moment today to express concern for a devotee’s well-being.
Ask yourself
What does Dhruva Mahārāja’s distinction as a great devotee teach you to value?
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.