Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.11.21
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesBala Strikes Indra’s Horses
“Quickly handling the situation on the battlefield, the demon Bala put all of Indra’s one thousand horses into tribulation by simultaneously piercing them all with an equal number of arrows.”
What the purport teaches
- Bala handled the situation on the battlefield very quickly.
- He released one thousand arrows, simultaneously piercing all one thousand of Indra’s horses.
- The attack put the horses into tribulation. The verse describes both Bala’s speed and the suffering his arrows caused.
Try this today
Reread the verse once, paying attention to those who suffered from the attack.
Ask yourself
What do you notice when you consider the horses’ suffering alongside Bala’s skill?
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.