Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.1.20
Mukti· LiberationMerging Was Not Their Final Destination
“How was it possible for Śiśupāla and Dantavakra, in the presence of many exalted persons, to enter very easily into the body of Kṛṣṇa, whose nature is difficult to attain?”
What the purport teaches
- Śiśupāla and Dantavakra were formerly Jaya and Vijaya, the doorkeepers of Vaikuṇṭha. Their merging into Kṛṣṇa’s body was temporary, not their final destination.
- Later they received sārūpya and sālokya liberation. They lived on the same planet as the Lord with the same bodily form as His.
- Blaspheming the Supreme Lord ordinarily brings severe punishment, yet Śiśupāla immediately received sāyujya-mukti. Everyone present witnessed this, and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was very surprised.
Try this today
Reread the purport and note the distinction between their temporary merging and their final destination.
Ask yourself
What surprises me about the difference between Śiśupāla’s apparent offense and his destination?
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.