Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.5.9
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesDevotion Was Mistaken for Spoiled Intelligence
“Dear son Prahlāda, all peace and good fortune unto you. Kindly do not speak lies; just reply with the truth. These boys you see are not like you, for they do not speak in a deviant way. How have you learned these instructions? How has your intelligence been spoiled in this way?”
What the purport teaches
- Prahlāda’s teachers asked him to speak truthfully about where he had received his instructions.
- They were surprised that the other boys in the same school did not speak as Prahlāda did. They wrongly regarded his devotional understanding as spoiled intelligence.
- Their main concern was to identify the Vaiṣṇavas who had taught him devotional service. Their reassuring words were intended to draw out that information.
Try this today
Reflect on one devotional teaching you value and why its worth does not depend on others’ approval.
Ask yourself
Do I judge devotional understanding by whether it agrees with everyone around me?
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.