Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.17.12
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesQuestion Confidence in Your Own Judgment
“Alas, Lord Brahmā, who has taken his birth from the lotus flower, does not know the principles of religion, nor do the great saints like Bhṛgu and Nārada, nor the four Kumāras, headed by Sanat-kumāra. Manu and Kapila have also forgotten the religious principles. I suppose it to be because of this that they have not tried to stop Lord Śiva from behaving improperly.”
What the purport teaches
- Pārvatī pointed out that Lord Brahmā and great saints such as Bhṛgu and Nārada had not stopped Lord Śiva.
- She also named the four Kumāras, headed by Sanat-kumāra, along with Manu and Kapila, as others who had not intervened.
- Her suggestion that they had all forgotten religious principles was ironic. She was challenging the implication that Citraketu knew better than all of them.
Try this today
Recall one judgment you feel certain about and ask whether you have considered the understanding of respected spiritual authorities.
Ask yourself
How can the judgment of respected spiritual authorities help you reconsider your own certainty?
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.