Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.18.39
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionBow Before the Lord Who Lifts Earth
“My Lord, as the original boar within this universe, You fought and killed the great demon Hiraṇyakṣa. Then You lifted me [the earth] from the Garbhodaka Ocean on the end of Your tusk, exactly as a sporting elephant plucks a lotus flower from the water. I bow down before You.”
What the purport teaches
- The Lord appeared as the original boar within this universe. He fought and killed the great demon Hiraṇyakṣa.
- He lifted the earth from the Garbhodaka Ocean on the end of His tusk. The verse compares this to a sporting elephant plucking a lotus flower from the water.
- The earth offers her obeisances to the Lord who lifted her. Her prayer expresses devotion by bowing before Him.
Try this today
Today, offer one respectful bow to the Lord, remembering how He lifted the earth.
Ask yourself
What does the earth’s prayer teach you about responding to the Lord with devotion?
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.