Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.7.18
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesDangerous Poison Emerges First
“The fish, sharks, tortoises and snakes were most agitated and perturbed. The entire ocean became turbulent, and even the large aquatic animals like whales, water elephants, crocodiles and timiṅgila fish [large whales that can swallow small whales] came to the surface. While the ocean was being churned in this way, it first produced a fiercely dangerous poison called hālahala.”
What the purport teaches
- As the ocean was churned, its fish, sharks, tortoises and snakes became greatly disturbed.
- The entire ocean became turbulent. Even large aquatic animals, including whales and timiṅgila fish, came to the surface.
- The first thing the churning produced was hālahala, a fiercely dangerous poison.
Try this today
Write one sentence describing what emerged first and how the ocean’s creatures were affected.
Ask yourself
What stands out to you about the disturbance surrounding the appearance of hālahala?
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.