Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.20.29
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesAdmire Greatness Without Trying to Imitate It
“As one cannot approach the heavenly planets simply by the strength of his arms (for who can touch the heavenly planets with his hands?), one cannot imitate the wonderful activities of Mahārāja Bharata. No one could perform such activities in the past, nor will anyone be able to do so in the future.”
What the purport teaches
- Mahārāja Bharata’s wonderful activities could not be imitated.
- The verse compares such imitation to trying to reach the heavenly planets by the strength of one’s arms.
- No one had performed such activities in the past, nor would anyone be able to do so in the future. The verse emphasizes the incomparable nature of his achievements.
Try this today
When you admire someone’s achievement today, acknowledge it without making it a standard you must equal.
Ask yourself
Can you appreciate extraordinary achievement without feeling that you must imitate it?
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.