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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
  3. 3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
  4. 4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
  5. 5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
  6. 6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›
Canto 1 · Chapter 11: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Entrance into Dvārakā
1.11.261.11.28

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.11.27

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The citizenssince 1.11.6inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

सितातपत्रव्यजनैरुपस्कृत:

प्रसूनवर्षैरभिवर्षित: पथि ।

पिशङ्गवासा वनमालया बभौ

घनो यथार्कोडुपचापवैद्युतै: ॥ २७ ॥

sitātapatra-vyajanair upaskṛtaḥ

prasūna-varṣair abhivarṣitaḥ pathi

piśaṅga-vāsā vana-mālayā babhau

ghano yathārkoḍupa-cāpa-vaidyutaiḥ

Translation

As the Lord passed along the public road of Dvārakā, His head was protected from the sunshine by a white umbrella. White feathered fans moved in semicircles, and showers of flowers fell upon the road. His yellow garments and garlands of flowers made it appear as if a dark cloud were surrounded simultaneously by sun, moon, lightning and rainbows.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord’s Beauty Reveals Inconceivable Power

  1. 1

    As Kṛṣṇa passed along the road, an umbrella, fans, flowers, yellow garments and garlands surrounded Him. His bodily hue resembled a new monsoon cloud.

  2. 2

    The scene is compared to a cloud surrounded by celestial lights and colors. Such comparisons cannot fully capture the beauty of the Lord’s procession.

  3. 3

    The Lord is all-powerful. By His inconceivable energy, what is impossible can become possible in His presence.

Key points from the purport
  • The sun, moon, rainbow and lightning do not appear in the sky simultaneously.
  • The white umbrella over His head is compared to the sun.
  • His yellow garments are compared to the rainbow.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

How it feels

Longing → Joy and continuity. Departure and welcome coexist; Parīkṣit embodies continuity of grace.

Chapters 10–12 of Canto 1: Kṛṣṇa returns to Dvārakā; Parīkṣit is born. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 11: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Entrance into Dvārakā

Dvārakā’s citizens and Kṛṣṇa’s family joyfully welcome Him home.

Back to this verse in chapter 1.11
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. sita-ātapatrawhite umbrella
  2. vyajanaiḥwith a cāmara fan
  3. upaskṛtaḥbeing served by
  4. prasūnaflowers
  5. varṣaiḥby the showers
  6. abhivarṣitaḥthus being covered
  7. pathion the road
  8. piśaṅga-vāsāḥby the yellow garments
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Īśānukathā · The science of God

    Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 1.11

    In this verse: “protected”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does this description help me appreciate the Lord beyond ordinary limitations?

Practice

Slowly reread the translation and spend a minute remembering the Lord’s beautiful procession.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord’s Beauty Reveals Inconceivable PowerThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 1.11.27? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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