Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.10.18-19
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesBattlefield Ornaments Could Bewilder Heroes
“The great sage Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, the heads of those who were cut to pieces by the arrows of Dhruva Mahārāja were decorated very beautifully with earrings and turbans. The legs of their bodies were as beautiful as golden palm trees, their arms were decorated with golden bracelets and armlets, and on their heads there were very valuable helmets bedecked with gold. All these ornaments lying on that battlefield were very attractive and could bewilder the mind of a hero.”
What the purport teaches
- Maitreya describes to Vidura the richly adorned bodies of those struck by Dhruva Mahārāja’s arrows. Their ornaments included earrings, bracelets, armlets, turbans and gold-bedecked helmets.
- The purport explains that soldiers in those days went into battle highly decorated. When they died, the enemy party took their ornaments as booty.
- The ornaments scattered across the battlefield were attractive enough to bewilder a hero’s mind. They offered the surviving warriors a lucrative opportunity.
Try this today
Notice one attractive possession today and pause to observe how strongly it draws your attention.
Ask yourself
What does the attraction of these ornaments show about the power of valuable possessions to capture attention?
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.