Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.10.20
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesGive Your Best, Depend on Divine Mercy
“Aṅgada and the other commanders of the soldiers of Rāmacandra faced the elephants, infantry, horses and chariots of the enemy and hurled against them big trees, mountain peaks, clubs and arrows. Thus the soldiers of Lord Rāmacandra killed Rāvaṇa’s soldiers, who had lost all good fortune because Rāvaṇa had been condemned by the anger of mother Sītā.”
What the purport teaches
- The monkeys lacked the military equipment of Rāvaṇa’s soldiers. Yet they defeated them with stones and trees because mother Sītā’s curse had deprived the enemy of good fortune.
- Daiva is strength received from the Transcendence, while puruṣākāra is strength organized through one’s own intelligence and power. Transcendental power is always superior to material power.
- Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna, “Think of Me and fight.” We should act to the best of our ability while depending on the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead for victory.
Try this today
Before one difficult task today, remember Kṛṣṇa and ask for His mercy; then give the task your best effort.
Ask yourself
Where can I make a sincere effort without treating my own ability as the only source of success?
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.