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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
1.14.381.14.40

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.14.39

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

कच्चित्तेऽनामयं तात भ्रष्टतेजा विभासि मे ।

अलब्धमानोऽवज्ञात: किं वा तात चिरोषित: ॥ ३९ ॥

kaccit te ’nāmayaṁ tāta

bhraṣṭa-tejā vibhāsi me

alabdha-māno ’vajñātaḥ

kiṁ vā tāta ciroṣitaḥ

Translation

My brother Arjuna, please tell me whether your health is all right. You appear to have lost your bodily luster. Is this due to others disrespecting and neglecting you because of your long stay at Dvārakā?

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Notice and Inquire About Another’s Welfare

  1. 1

    Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira had inquired about Dvārakā’s welfare from many angles. He concluded that nothing inauspicious could happen while Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself was there.

  2. 2

    Still, Arjuna appeared to have lost his bodily luster. The King noticed this change and asked about his personal health and welfare.

  3. 3

    He asked whether Arjuna had been disrespected or neglected during his long stay. These were concerned questions, not conclusions about what had happened.

Key points from the purport
  • From all angles of vision, the Mahārāja inquired from Arjuna about the welfare of Dvārakā, but he concluded at last that as long as Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself was there, nothing inauspicious could happen.
  • But at the same time, Arjuna appeared to be bereft of his bodily luster, and thus the King inquired of his personal welfare and asked so many vital questions.

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
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kaccitwhether
  2. teyour
  3. anāmayamhealth is all right
  4. tātamy dear brother
  5. bhraṣṭabereft
  6. tejāḥluster
  7. vibhāsiappear
  8. meto me
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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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 1.14

    In this verse: “luster”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 1.14

    In this verse: “welfare”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 1.14

    In this verse: “king”

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

Am I attentive enough to notice when someone near me seems troubled?

Practice

Gently ask someone who seems troubled how they are doing, and listen without assuming the cause.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayNotice and Inquire About Another’s WelfareThis 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 1.14.39? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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