Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.17.27
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionThe Lord Upholds All Living Beings
“You are very much puffed up with pride and have become almost insane. Presently you have assumed the form of a cow by your mystic powers. Nonetheless I shall cut you into small pieces like grain, and I will uphold the entire population by my personal mystic powers.”
What the purport teaches
- The earth had warned that destroying her would cause the king and his subjects to fall into the garbha ocean. Pṛthu Mahārāja replied that he could uphold everyone by his own mystic powers.
- As an incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu, Pṛthu Mahārāja possessed the power of Saṅkarṣaṇa. He did not depend on the earth to support his citizens.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead holds millions of planets in space without support. He is Yogeśvara, the master of all mystic powers.
Try this today
Look at the sky for a moment and remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s power to uphold the planets.
Ask yourself
What does the Lord’s power to uphold the planets teach me about dependence on Him?
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.