Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.11.12
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesBali Falls With His Airplane
“When Indra, the defeater of enemies, released his infallible thunderbolt scepter at Bali Mahārāja with a desire to kill him, Bali Mahārāja indeed fell to the ground with his airplane, like a mountain with its wings cut off.”
What the purport teaches
- Indra released his infallible thunderbolt scepter at Bali Mahārāja with the desire to kill him.
- Bali Mahārāja fell to the ground with his airplane, like a mountain whose wings had been cut off.
- Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that Vedic literature describes mountains flying with wings. When such mountains die, they fall and remain as very large dead bodies.
Try this today
Reread the mountain comparison and note how the purport explains it.
Ask yourself
How does the comparison to a fallen mountain help me picture Bali Mahārāja’s fall?
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.