Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 8.7.42
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionHonor Lord Śiva Without Imitating Him
“Thereafter, Lord Śiva, who is dedicated to auspicious, benevolent work for humanity, compassionately took the whole quantity of poison in his palm and drank it.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Śiva is dedicated to auspicious, benevolent work for humanity. Out of compassion, he took the poison in his palm and drank it.
- Although the poison had spread throughout the universe, Lord Śiva reduced it to a quantity small enough to hold in his palm.
- One should not try to imitate Lord Śiva. The purport warns that smoking ganja and taking other poisonous things in imitation of him can kill.
Try this today
Write down this reminder today: “Honor Lord Śiva’s compassion; do not imitate his drinking poison.”
Ask yourself
Do I distinguish between honoring Lord Śiva’s power and trying to imitate his extraordinary acts?
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.