Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.3.18
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe One Lord Expands Himself
“Since I cannot find anyone equal to Me, I shall personally expand Myself into a plenary portion and thus advent Myself in the womb of Merudevī, the wife of Mahārāja Nābhi, the son of Āgnīdhra.”
What the purport teaches
- Because no one was equal to Him, the Lord agreed to appear personally through a plenary expansion in Merudevī’s womb.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead remains one without a second while expanding Himself. This demonstrates His unlimited power.
- His personal expansion is called svāṁśa, and His separated expansion is called vibhinnāṁśa. Here Lord Viṣṇu agreed to send His personal expansion as the son of Merudevī and Mahārāja Nābhi.
Try this today
Read the Lord’s promise once more and offer a brief prayer appreciating His unlimited power.
Ask yourself
How does the Lord’s ability to expand Himself deepen my appreciation of His power?
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.