Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.5.20
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesDo Not Misjudge a Pure Vaiṣṇava
“Durvāsā Muni said: I am very pleased with you, my dear King. At first I thought of you as an ordinary human being and accepted your hospitality, but later I could understand, by my own intelligence, that you are the most exalted devotee of the Lord. Therefore, simply by seeing you, touching your feet and talking with you, I have been pleased and have become obliged to you.”
What the purport teaches
- Even a very intelligent person cannot understand the activities of a pure Vaiṣṇava. Although a great mystic yogī, Durvāsā Muni first mistook Mahārāja Ambarīṣa for an ordinary person.
- Durvāsā Muni could not escape the Sudarśana cakra even after seeking exalted shelter and meeting the Personality of Godhead. Through personal experience, he came to understand the King’s greatness.
- Learning and mystic power do not prevent someone from misjudging a Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava is understood by how much he is favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Try this today
Before judging a devotee today, pause and remind yourself that you may not understand their activities.
Ask yourself
Am I too quick to judge a devotee by what my own intelligence can understand?
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.