Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.24.31
Sthāna· The universe in orderSplendor Does Not Exclude Anger
“Beneath Rasātala is another planetary system, known as Pātāla or Nāgaloka, where there are many demoniac serpents, the masters of Nāgaloka, such as Śaṅkha, Kulika, Mahāśaṅkha, Śveta, Dhanañjaya, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Śaṅkhacūḍa, Kambala, Aśvatara and Devadatta. The chief among them is Vāsuki. They are all extremely angry, and they have many, many hoods — some snakes five hoods, some seven, some ten, others a hundred and others a thousand. These hoods are bedecked with valuable gems, and the light emanating from the gems illuminates the entire planetary system of bila-svarga.”
What the purport teaches
- Beneath Rasātala lies Pātāla, also called Nāgaloka. Many demoniac serpents live there, with Vāsuki as their chief.
- These serpents are extremely angry and have many hoods. Some have five, seven or ten hoods; others have a hundred or a thousand.
- Valuable gems adorn their hoods, and the light from these gems illuminates the entire planetary system of bila-svarga. This splendor exists alongside the serpents’ extreme anger.
Try this today
Today, pause once to notice whether you feel angry even while surrounded by comforts.
Ask yourself
What does the presence of both valuable gems and extreme anger suggest about outward splendor and inner character?
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.