Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.5.8
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesGentle Words Can Conceal Opposing Purposes
“When Hiraṇyakaśipu’s servants brought the boy Prahlāda back to the gurukula [the place where the brāhmaṇas taught the boys], the priests of the demons, Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, pacified him. With very mild voices and affectionate words, they inquired from him as follows.”
What the purport teaches
- After Prahlāda returned to the gurukula, Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka approached him with mild voices and affectionate words.
- Their purpose was to discover the names of the Vaiṣṇavas who had instructed him in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- They avoided threats because they thought threats might keep him from identifying those teachers. Their gentle manner served their inquiry rather than support for his devotion.
Try this today
Before asking someone a personal question today, pause and honestly examine your purpose.
Ask yourself
When I ask gentle questions, am I sincerely seeking to understand the other person?
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.