Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.21.18
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesPreparation Requires Following Regulative Principles
“As Mahārāja Pṛthu was being initiated to perform the sacrifice, he had to leave aside his valuable dress, and therefore his natural bodily beauty was visible. It was very pleasing to see him put on a black deerskin and wear a ring of kuśa grass on his finger, for this increased the natural beauty of his body. It appears that Mahārāja Pṛthu observed all the regulative principles before he performed the sacrifice.”
What the purport teaches
- When initiated to perform the sacrifice, Mahārāja Pṛthu set aside his valuable dress. His natural bodily beauty then became visible.
- He wore a black deerskin and a ring of kuśa grass on his finger. These increased the pleasing appearance of his natural beauty.
- The translation observes that Pṛthu followed all the regulative principles before performing the sacrifice. His preparation included accepting the required dress.
Try this today
Before your worship today, take a moment to check and follow one preparation it requires.
Ask yourself
Am I willing to set aside personal preferences to prepare properly for worship?
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.