Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.17.6-7
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesHear About Kṛṣṇa Beyond Material Perception
“Pṛthu Mahārāja was a powerful incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s potencies; consequently any narration concerning his activities is surely very pleasing to hear, and it produces all good fortune. As far as I am concerned, I am always your devotee as well as a devotee of the Lord, who is known as Adhokṣaja. Please therefore narrate all the stories of King Pṛthu, who, in the form of the son of King Vena, milked the cow-shaped earth.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is avatārī, the source of all incarnations. Everything spiritual and material emanates from Him.
- Mahārāja Pṛthu manifests Kṛṣṇa’s potency for ruling over conditioned souls. Hearing about his activities is pleasing and produces all good fortune.
- The Lord is called Adhokṣaja because He is beyond the perception of material senses and cannot be understood by mental speculation. The request to hear about Pṛthu is made with devotion to both the speaker and the Lord.
Try this today
Reread the translation attentively, remembering that Kṛṣṇa is the source of all incarnations and beyond material perception.
Ask yourself
Am I approaching these narrations with devotion, rather than relying only on my own speculation?
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.