Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.17.15
Sthāna· The universe in orderRespect the Restriction in Ilāvṛta-varṣa
“Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: In the tract of land known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa, the only male person is Lord Śiva, the most powerful demigod. Goddess Durgā, the wife of Lord Śiva, does not like any man to enter that land. If any foolish man dares to do so, she immediately turns him into a woman. I shall explain this later [in the Ninth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam].”
What the purport teaches
- Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes Lord Śiva as the only male person in Ilāvṛta-varṣa. He calls him the most powerful demigod.
- Goddess Durgā, Lord Śiva's wife, does not like any other man to enter that land.
- If a man foolishly enters, Durgā immediately turns him into a woman. Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that he will explain this later.
Try this today
Reread the translation and identify the restriction and its stated consequence, without adding details the verse does not give.
Ask yourself
What does this account invite me to consider about disregarding a clearly stated restriction?
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.