Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.19.30
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyHonor the Lord’s Powerful Assistant
“Lord Brahmā addressed them thus: My dear sacrificial performers, you cannot kill Indra, the King of heaven. It is not your duty. You should know that Indra is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Indeed, he is one of the most powerful assistants of the Personality of Godhead. You are trying to satisfy all the demigods by the performance of this yajña, but you should know that all these demigods are but parts and parcels of Indra, the King of heaven. How, then, can you kill him in this great sacrifice?”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Brahmā told the sacrificial performers that killing Indra was not their duty.
- He described Indra as as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, explaining that Indra is one of His most powerful assistants.
- The yajña was intended to satisfy the demigods, whom Brahmā described as parts and parcels of Indra. Killing Indra would contradict that purpose.
Try this today
Before one act of worship today, state its purpose and check that your attitude supports it.
Ask yourself
Do my actions support the purpose of my worship, or work against it?
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.