Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.15.20
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesMaterial Absorption Obstructs Receiving Higher Knowledge
“When I first came to your home, I could have given you the supreme transcendental knowledge, but when I saw that your mind was absorbed in material things, I gave you only a son, who caused you jubilation and lamentation.”
What the purport teaches
- The sage could have given the King supreme transcendental knowledge when he first visited.
- Seeing that the King's mind was absorbed in material things, he gave him only a son.
- The son brought both jubilation and lamentation. The desired material gift did not provide unbroken happiness.
Try this today
Set aside one material preoccupation for five minutes and carefully reread this translation.
Ask yourself
What material desire is taking attention I could give to transcendental knowledge?
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.