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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 15: The Pāṇḍavas Retire Timely
1.15.291.15.31

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.15.30

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Sūta Gosvāmīsince 1.15.28inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

गीतं भगवता ज्ञानं यत् तत् सङ्ग्राममूर्धनि ।

कालकर्मतमोरुद्धं पुनरध्यगमत् प्रभु: ॥ ३० ॥

gītaṁ bhagavatā jñānaṁ

yat tat saṅgrāma-mūrdhani

kāla-karma-tamo-ruddhaṁ

punar adhyagamat prabhuḥ

Translation

Because of the Lord’s pastimes and activities and because of His absence, it appeared that Arjuna forgot the instructions left by the Personality of Godhead. But factually this was not the case, and again he became lord of his senses.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Align Your Activities With the Lord’s Mission

  1. 1

    The Supreme Lord is not controlled by material time. His activities are eternal manifestations of His internal potency, even when they appear material.

  2. 2

    Arjuna fought for the Lord’s mission and remained in his transcendental position. His apparent forgetfulness did not mean that he had actually lost the Lord’s instructions.

  3. 3

    One should always think of the Lord, become His devotee and offer Him obeisances. Adjusting life’s activities to His mission leads back home, back to Godhead—the highest perfection of life.

Key points from the purport
  • The activities of the Lord are eternal, and they are manifestations of His ātma-māyā, or internal potency.
  • Therefore such apparently material activities of Arjuna did not drive him away from his transcendental position, but on the contrary revived his consciousness of the songs of the Lord, as He sang them personally.
  • One should, therefore, adjust the activities of life in pace with the mission of the Lord, and by doing this one is sure to return back home, back to Godhead.

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

Connected verses· 1

The purport of SB 1.15.30 quotesBG 18.65

This revival of consciousness is assured by the Lord in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.65) as follows: One should think of the Lord always; the mind should not forget Him.

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

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 15: The Pāṇḍavas Retire Timely

Arjuna grieves over Kṛṣṇa’s departure, and the Pāṇḍavas retire, fixing their minds on His lotus feet.

Back to this verse in chapter 1.15
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. gītaminstructed
  2. bhagavatāby the Personality of Godhead
  3. jñānamtranscendental knowledge
  4. yatwhich
  5. tatthat
  6. saṅgrāma-mūrdhaniin the midst of battle
  7. kāla-karmatime and actions
  8. tamaḥ-ruddhamenwrapped by such darkness
  9. punaḥ adhyagamatrevived them again
  10. prabhuḥthe lord of his senses
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 1.15

    In this verse: “absence”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 1.15

    In this verse: “material”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 1.15

    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

How could one of my daily activities become more closely aligned with service to the Lord?

Practice

Offer obeisances to the Lord today and choose one activity to carry out consciously in His service.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.

1 lecture given on it. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Live this todayAlign Your Activities With the Lord’s MissionThis 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.

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