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

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Canto 1 · Creation · 19 chapters

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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 12: Birth of Emperor Parīkṣit
1.12.231.12.25

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.12.24

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The learned brāhmaṇassince 1.12.19inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

सर्वसद्गुणमाहात्म्ये एष कृष्णमनुव्रत: ।

रन्तिदेव इवोदारो ययातिरिव धार्मिक: ॥ २४ ॥

sarva-sad-guṇa-māhātmye

eṣa kṛṣṇam anuvrataḥ

rantideva ivodāro

yayātir iva dhārmikaḥ

Translation

This child will be almost as good as Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa by following in His footsteps. In magnanimity he will become as great as King Rantideva. And in religion he will be like Mahārāja Yayāti.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Associate With Kṛṣṇa by Following His Instructions

  1. 1

    Association is the cause of acquiring qualities, just as association with fire makes an object hot. Association with Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, develops godly qualities.

  2. 2

    Following the Lord’s instructions is association with Him. His instructions, name, fame and attributes are identical with Him, so physical presence is not required.

  3. 3

    Parīkṣit acquired essential good qualities through lifelong association with the Lord. His magnanimity is compared to Rantideva’s, and his religious conduct to Yayāti’s.

Key points from the purport
  • The last instruction of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā is that one should give up everything and should follow in the footsteps of the Lord alone.
  • Devayānī had a girlfriend named Śarmiṣṭhā, who also fell in love with the emperor and thus went with her friend Devayānī.
  • But when he explained to his subjects the greatness of Pūru, they agreed to accept Pūru as the King, and thus Emperor Yayāti retired from family life and left home for the forest.

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 12: Birth of Emperor Parīkṣit

Parīkṣit’s protection in the womb is recalled, and learned brāhmaṇas predict his qualities at birth.

Back to this verse in chapter 1.12
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. sarva-sat-guṇa-māhātmyeglorified by all godly attributes
  2. eṣaḥthis child
  3. kṛṣṇamlike Lord Kṛṣṇa
  4. anuvrataḥa follower in His footsteps
  5. rantidevaḥRantideva
  6. ivalike
  7. udāraḥin the matter of magnanimity
  8. yayātiḥYayāti
  9. ivalike
  10. dhārmikaḥconcerning religion
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

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 1.12

    In this verse: “religion”, “religious”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 1.12

    In this verse: “king”

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 1.12

    In this verse: “child”

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 knowing that the Lord is present in His instructions change my approach to following them?

Practice

Read the instruction to follow the Lord alone in this purport, and choose one action today that puts it before your own preference.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 1.12's connections

Live this todayAssociate With Kṛṣṇa by Following His InstructionsThis 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 1.12.24? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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