Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.4.2
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesṚṣabha: The Supreme Living Being
“When the son of Mahārāja Nābhi became visible, He evinced all good qualities described by the great poets — namely, a well-built body with all the symptoms of the Godhead, prowess, strength, beauty, name, fame, influence and enthusiasm. When the father, Mahārāja Nābhi, saw all these qualities, he thought his son to be the best of human beings or the supreme being. Therefore he gave Him the name Ṛṣabha.”
What the purport teaches
- Before accepting someone as God or an incarnation, one must observe the symptoms of God in his body. These symptoms were all present in Mahārāja Nābhi’s extraordinarily powerful son.
- The Lord’s body was well structured, and He displayed all transcendental qualities. He showed great influence and could control His mind and senses.
- Seeing these qualities, Mahārāja Nābhi named his son Ṛṣabha. This name indicates that He was the supreme living being.
Try this today
Write down three qualities of Ṛṣabha described here and spend a minute reflecting on them.
Ask yourself
How does Ṛṣabha’s control of His mind and senses deepen my understanding of His greatness?
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.