Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.17.13
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesUnderstand the Cause Before Taking Action
“Having arrived at a conclusion, the King took up his bow and arrow and aimed them at the earth, exactly like Lord Śiva, who destroys the whole world out of anger.”
What the purport teaches
- King Pṛthu found that the scarcity of food grains was not the people's fault. They were not lazy in executing their duties.
- The earth can produce sufficiently when everything is properly arranged. The purport challenges the idea that population increase alone explains scarcity.
- King Pṛthu discovered the proper causes and immediately took the necessary steps. He took up his bow and aimed an arrow at the earth.
Try this today
Before responding to one problem today, pause and check whether your first explanation is correct.
Ask yourself
Do I understand the cause of a problem before blaming someone?
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.