Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.9.56
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesA Glimpse of Ancient Opulence
“In the capital city there were many palaces, city gates and surrounding walls, which were already very, very beautiful, and on this occasion all of them were decorated with golden ornaments. The domes of the city palaces glittered, as did the domes of the beautiful airplanes which hovered over the city.”
What the purport teaches
- The already beautiful palaces, gates and walls were decorated with golden ornaments. Gold on the palace domes and airplane pinnacles glittered in the sunshine.
- Śrīmad Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha suggests that demigods came from higher planetary systems in their airplanes to bless Dhruva Mahārāja.
- The purport contrasts the golden airplanes of those days with modern airplanes made of base aluminum. This gives a hint of the opulence of Dhruva Mahārāja’s time.
Try this today
Write down one contrast the purport makes between ancient and modern opulence.
Ask yourself
How does this description challenge your assumptions about wealth in ancient times?
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.