Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.6.7
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesṚṣabhadeva’s Body Was Not Material
“Actually Lord Ṛṣabhadeva had no material body, but due to yoga-māyā He considered His body material, and therefore, because He played like an ordinary human being, He gave up the mentality of identifying with it. Following this principle, He began to wander all over the world. While traveling, He came to the province of Karṇāṭa in South India and passed through Koṅka, Veṅka and Kuṭaka. He had no plan to travel this way, but He arrived near Kuṭakācala and entered a forest there. He placed stones within His mouth and began to wander through the forest, naked and with His hair disheveled like a madman.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Ṛṣabhadeva actually had no material body. Through yoga-māyā, He played the part of an ordinary human being.
- He gave up the mentality of identifying with the body and wandered throughout the world without a planned route.
- He reached the forest near Kuṭakācala, placed stones in His mouth and wandered naked with disheveled hair, appearing like a madman.
Try this today
Reread the opening sentence of the translation and reflect on the statement that Lord Ṛṣabhadeva had no material body.
Ask yourself
What does this account teach me about the difference between the Lord’s appearance and His actual nature?
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.