Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.24.32
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesReceive the Mantra with Attentive Hearing
“The great sage Maitreya continued: Out of his causeless mercy, the exalted personality Lord Śiva, a great devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa, continued to speak to the King’s sons, who were standing with folded hands.”
What the purport teaches
- Out of causeless mercy, Lord Śiva voluntarily came to bless the King’s sons. This great devotee of Nārāyaṇa spoke while they stood with folded hands.
- A mantra becomes more powerful when chanted by a great devotee. Although the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is powerful in itself, a disciple receives it from the spiritual master upon initiation.
- Lord Śiva personally chanted the mantra and advised the King’s sons to chant it. He asked them to hear attentively, because inattentive hearing is offensive.
Try this today
During your next hearing of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, stop other activities and listen carefully.
Ask yourself
Do I receive devotional instruction with gratitude and attentive hearing?
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.