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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 12: Birth of Emperor Parīkṣit
1.12.61.12.8

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.12.7

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Sūta Gosvāmīsince 1.12.4inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

मातुर्गर्भगतो वीर: स तदा भृगुनन्दन ।

ददर्श पुरुषं कञ्चिद्दह्यमानोऽस्त्रतेजसा ॥ ७ ॥

mātur garbha-gato vīraḥ

sa tadā bhṛgu-nandana

dadarśa puruṣaṁ kañcid

dahyamāno ’stra-tejasā

Translation

O son of Bhṛgu [Śaunaka], when the child Parīkṣit, the great fighter, was in the womb of his mother, Uttarā, and was suffering from the burning heat of the brahmāstra [thrown by Aśvatthāmā], he could observe the Supreme Lord coming to him.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord Reaches His Helpless Devotee

  1. 1

    The living being receives a particular body according to past actions. Within the confinement of the womb, one may fortunately pray to the Lord for release.

  2. 2

    Parīkṣit suffered the burning heat of Aśvatthāmā’s brahmāstra while still in Uttarā’s womb. Because he was a devotee, the Lord appeared there by His all-powerful energy.

  3. 3

    The child could see that someone had come to save him. Even in that helpless condition, he endured the unbearable heat because he was a great fighter by nature.

Key points from the purport
  • A living being, according to his own action, is allowed to enter into the womb of a mother by the vehicle of a father’s semen, and thus he develops his desired body.
  • When he is awake from trance, he feels the inconvenience of being confined within the womb, and thus he wants to come out of it and sometimes fortunately prays to the Lord for such liberation.
  • Mahārāja Parīkṣit, while in the womb of his mother, was struck by the brahmāstra released by Aśvatthāmā, and he was feeling the burning heat.

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. mātuḥmother
  2. garbhawomb
  3. gataḥbeing situated there
  4. vīraḥthe great fighter
  5. saḥchild Parīkṣit
  6. tadāat that time
  7. bhṛgu-nandanaO son of Bhṛgu
  8. dadarśacould see
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

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

    In this verse: “mother”, “child”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 1.12

    In this verse: “suffering”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 1.12

    In this verse: “devotee”

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

What does the Lord’s appearance in the womb teach me about turning to Him in helplessness?

Practice

Take a quiet moment today to offer the Lord a sincere prayer about a difficulty you cannot manage alone.

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 todayThe Lord Reaches His Helpless DevoteeThis 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 1.12.7? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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