Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.22.43
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesGratitude Recognizes Everything as Received Mercy
“My dear brāhmaṇa, you have carried out the order thoroughly because you are also as compassionate as the Lord. It is my duty, therefore, to offer you something, but all I possess are but remnants of food taken by great saintly persons. What shall I give?”
What the purport teaches
- Pṛthu Mahārāja praised the Kumāras for carrying out the Lord’s order with compassion. He felt a duty to offer them something in return.
- His kingdom had already come through the mercy of great saintly persons. He therefore compared his possessions to remnants of food received from them.
- Pṛthu Mahārāja wondered how he could offer back what he had already received from the saints. Yet indirectly he offered everything, leaving them free to use his possessions as they wished.
Try this today
Write down one thing you have received through saintly guidance and one way you can use it in service.
Ask yourself
How does remembering what I have received change my desire to give?
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.