Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 6.9.29-30
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord’s Distinctive Form Inspires Devotion
“Surrounding and serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, were sixteen personal attendants, decorated with ornaments and appearing exactly like Him but without the mark of Śrīvatsa and the Kaustubha jewel. O King, when all the demigods saw the Supreme Lord in that posture, smiling with eyes like the petals of lotuses grown in autumn, they were overwhelmed with happiness and immediately fell down like rods, offering daṇḍavats. Then they slowly rose and pleased the Lord by offering Him prayers.”
What the purport teaches
- In Vaikuṇṭhaloka, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has four hands. The Śrīvatsa mark on His chest and the Kaustubha gem are His special distinguishing features.
- The Lord’s personal attendants and other devotees in Vaikuṇṭha have features like His, but lack these two distinctions. Sixteen personal attendants surrounded and served Nārāyaṇa.
- Seeing the smiling Lord, the demigods were overwhelmed with happiness and offered daṇḍavats, falling down like rods. They then slowly rose and pleased Him with prayers.
Try this today
Offer respectful obeisances to the Lord today, followed by one heartfelt prayer.
Ask yourself
How can I express both happiness and reverence when approaching the Lord?
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.