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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 14: The Disappearance of Lord Kṛṣṇa
1.14.301.14.32-33

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.14.31

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhirasince 1.14.25inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

सुषेणश्चारुदेष्णश्च साम्बो जाम्बवतीसुत: ।

अन्ये च कार्ष्णिप्रवरा: सपुत्रा ऋषभादय: ॥ ३१ ॥

suṣeṇaś cārudeṣṇaś ca

sāmbo jāmbavatī-sutaḥ

anye ca kārṣṇi-pravarāḥ

saputrā ṛṣabhādayaḥ

Translation

Are all the chieftain sons of Lord Kṛṣṇa, such as Suṣeṇa, Cārudeṣṇa, Sāmba the son of Jāmbavatī, and Ṛṣabha, along with their sons, all doing well?

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Do Not Measure Kṛṣṇa by Our Limits

  1. 1

    Lord Kṛṣṇa had 16,108 wives, each with ten sons, and His family extended through further generations. Yudhiṣṭhira named only the chieftains because remembering all the names was impossible.

  2. 2

    The Lord is the father of countless living beings. Only a few associate with Him in His transcendental pastimes as the Lord of Dvārakā on earth.

  3. 3

    It is not astonishing that the Lord maintained such a large visible family. Rather than comparing His position to ours, we should seek to understand His transcendental position.

Key points from the purport
  • As already mentioned, Lord Kṛṣṇa married 16,108 wives, and each of them had ten sons.
  • They all grew up, and each of them had as many sons as their father, and the whole aggregate was something near 1,610,800 family members of the Lord.
  • King Yudhiṣṭhira, while inquiring about the Lord’s sons and grandsons at Dvārakā, mentioned only the chieftains amongst them, for it was impossible for him to remember all the names of the Lord’s family members.

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

Bereavement → Renunciation. The worldly support system recedes and attachment is exposed.

Chapters 13–15 of Canto 1: Dhṛtarāṣṭra departs; Kṛṣṇa disappears; Pāṇḍavas retire. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 14: The Disappearance of Lord Kṛṣṇa

Yudhiṣṭhira observes disturbing omens and questions Arjuna about Kṛṣṇa and their relatives.

Back to this verse in chapter 1.14
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. suṣeṇaḥSuṣeṇa
  2. cārudeṣṇaḥCārudeṣṇa
  3. caand
  4. sāmbaḥSāmba
  5. jāmbavatī-sutaḥthe son of Jāmbavatī
  6. anyeothers
  7. caalso
  8. kārṣṇithe sons of Lord Kṛṣṇa
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

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 1.14

    In this verse: “father”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 1.14

    In this verse: “understand”

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

Where do I tend to judge Lord Kṛṣṇa’s abilities by my own limitations?

Practice

Write down one limitation of your own, then remind yourself that it does not limit Lord Kṛṣṇa.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDo Not Measure Kṛṣṇa by Our LimitsThis 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 1.14.31? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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