Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.9.13
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesAn Exalted Soul Guarding a Field
“The leader of the dacoits captured a man-animal for sacrifice, but he escaped, and the leader ordered his followers to find him. They ran in different directions but could not find him. Wandering here and there in the middle of the night, covered by dense darkness, they came to a paddy field where they saw the exalted son of the Āṅgirā family [Jaḍa Bharata], who was sitting in an elevated place guarding the field against the attacks of deer and wild pigs.”
What the purport teaches
- The man captured for sacrifice escaped, and the dacoit leader sent his followers to find him.
- Unable to find him, the followers wandered in dense darkness at midnight and came to a paddy field.
- There they saw Jaḍa Bharata, the exalted son of the Āṅgirā family. He was sitting in an elevated place, protecting the field from deer and wild pigs.
Try this today
Give careful attention to one ordinary responsibility today, remembering Jaḍa Bharata guarding the field.
Ask yourself
What does seeing an exalted person doing ordinary work invite me to consider?
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.