Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.13.14
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesRespect a Vaiṣṇava Without Probing the Past
“Neither by that saintly person’s activities, by his bodily features, by his words nor by the symptoms of his varṇāśrama status could people understand whether he was the same person they had known.”
What the purport teaches
- The local inhabitants could not tell whether the saint was the same man they had previously known. His activities, bodily features, words and varṇāśrama symptoms did not settle their uncertainty.
- A highly advanced Vaiṣṇava may live in such a way that others cannot understand what he is or what he was.
- One should not try to investigate a Vaiṣṇava’s past. Prahlāda Mahārāja offered respectful obeisances without asking about the saint’s previous life.
Try this today
Today, refrain from one unnecessary question or conversation about a devotee’s past.
Ask yourself
Can I offer respect without needing to investigate a devotee’s past?
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.