Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.1.4-5
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesHear About Kṛṣṇa Whenever You Can
“The great sage Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, you have put before me an excellent question. Discourses concerning the activities of the Lord, in which the glories of His devotees are also found, are extremely pleasing to devotees. Such wonderful topics always counteract the miseries of the materialistic way of life. Therefore great sages like Nārada always speak upon Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam because it gives one the facility to hear and chant about the wonderful activities of the Lord. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Vyāsadeva and then begin describing topics concerning the activities of Lord Hari.”
What the purport teaches
- Topics about the Lord’s activities and His devotees’ glories are deeply pleasing to devotees. They counteract the miseries of materialistic life.
- Śukadeva Gosvāmī first offers respectful obeisances to his spiritual master, Vyāsadeva. One should honor one’s spiritual master before describing the Lord’s activities.
- Whenever an opportunity to hear about the Lord arises, we should take it. Chanting, speaking and hearing about Kṛṣṇa are the occupation of a Kṛṣṇa conscious person.
Try this today
Offer respectful obeisances to Śrīla Vyāsadeva, then spend five minutes reading aloud about the Lord from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Ask yourself
What opportunity to hear or speak about Kṛṣṇa can I welcome today?
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.