Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.14.8
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesThe Lord Mercifully Teaches Humanity
“In every yuga, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, assumes the form of Siddhas such as Sanaka to preach transcendental knowledge, He assumes the form of great saintly persons such as Yājñavalkya to teach the way of karma, and He assumes the form of great yogīs such as Dattātreya to teach the system of mystic yoga.”
What the purport teaches
- Hari assumes forms such as Sanaka to teach transcendental knowledge, Yājñavalkya to teach karma, and Dattātreya to teach mystic yoga.
- Human society’s duty is to accept the path of action taught by the Supreme Lord. In this age, Bhagavad-gītā contains the sum and substance of all Vedic knowledge.
- The same Supreme Lord, as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, spreads these teachings throughout the world. His mercy is shown in His eagerness to bring fallen souls back home, back to Godhead.
Try this today
Spend five minutes reading Bhagavad-gītā, looking for one instruction you can follow today.
Ask yourself
How does seeing the Lord’s teachings as His mercy affect my willingness to follow them?
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.