Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.18.29
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesEvery Form of the Lord Is Beautiful
“Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: In Hiraṇmaya-varṣa, the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, lives in the form of a tortoise [kūrma-śarīra]. This most dear and beautiful form is always worshiped there in devotional service by Aryamā, the chief resident of Hiraṇmaya-varṣa, along with the other inhabitants of that land. They chant the following hymns.”
What the purport teaches
- In Hiraṇmaya-varṣa, Aryamā and the other inhabitants worship the Supreme Lord in His tortoise form with devotional service.
- Every incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa is the fully opulent Personality of Godhead. Since infinite beauty is one of His opulences, none of His forms is an ordinary material creature.
- Each devotee regards a particular form of the Lord as most dear. Sincere servants see that form as very beautiful and engage in constant devotional service.
Try this today
Read the translation again and offer a short prayer of appreciation for the Lord’s beautiful tortoise form.
Ask yourself
How could seeing the Lord’s form as spiritual deepen my desire to serve Him?
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.