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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 17: Punishment and Reward of Kali
1.17.261.17.28

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.17.27

Manvantara· The Manus and right duty
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Kingsince 1.17.22inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

शोचत्यश्रुकला साध्वी दुर्भगेवोज्झिता सती ।

अब्रह्मण्या नृपव्याजा: शूद्रा भोक्ष्यन्ति मामिति ॥ २७ ॥

śocaty aśru-kalā sādhvī

durbhagevojjhitā satī

abrahmaṇyā nṛpa-vyājāḥ

śūdrā bhokṣyanti mām iti

Translation

Now she, the chaste one, being unfortunately forsaken by the Personality of Godhead, laments her future with tears in her eyes, for now she is being ruled and enjoyed by lower-class men who pose as rulers.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

True Rulers Protect Those Who Suffer

  1. 1

    A kṣatriya is qualified to rule by being trained and willing to protect sufferers. Holding office alone does not establish that qualification.

  2. 2

    Untrained rulers gratify themselves at the cost of their citizens’ comforts. Mother earth laments the suffering of her children, both human beings and animals.

  3. 3

    In the absence of a suitable king, systematic education in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam can clear the atmosphere of corruption, bribery and blackmail.

Key points from the purport
  • The kṣatriya, or the man who is qualified to protect the sufferers, is meant to rule the state.
  • Untrained lower-class men, or men without ambition to protect the sufferers, cannot be placed on the seat of an administrator.
  • Unfortunately, in the Age of Kali the lower-class men, without training, occupy the post of a ruler by strength of popular votes, and instead of protecting the sufferers, such men create a situation quite intolerable for everyone.

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

Moral alarm → Resolve. The king's duty is tested in a deteriorating age.

Chapters 16–17 of Canto 1: Parīkṣit confronts Kali. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 17: Punishment and Reward of Kali

Parīkṣit protects a cow and bull from abuse and restricts Kali to five places.

Back to this verse in chapter 1.17
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śocatilamenting
  2. aśru-kalāwith tears in the eyes
  3. sādhvīthe chaste
  4. durbhagāas if the most unfortunate
  5. ivalike
  6. ujjhitāforlorn
  7. satībeing so done
  8. abrahmaṇyāḥdevoid of brahminical culture
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Manvantara · The change of Manus

    What gives human life its right direction? · Subject 6 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 1.17

    In this verse: “rulers”, “king”, “citizens’”

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 1.17

    In this verse: “laments”, “absence”

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 1.17

    In this verse: “mother”, “children”

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

When I have responsibility for others, do I seek their protection or my own comfort?

Practice

Set aside five minutes today for a regular study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayTrue Rulers Protect Those Who SufferThis 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 1.17.27? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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