1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 1 · Creation · 19 chapters

12345678910111213141516171819

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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
1.17.61.17.8

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.17.7

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Sūta Gosvāmīsince 1.17.1inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

त्वं वा मृणालधवल: पादैर्न्यून: पदा चरन् ।

वृषरूपेण किं कश्चिद् देवो न: परिखेदयन् ॥ ७ ॥

tvaṁ vā mṛṇāla-dhavalaḥ

pādair nyūnaḥ padā caran

vṛṣa-rūpeṇa kiṁ kaścid

devo naḥ parikhedayan

Translation

Then he [Mahārāja Parīkṣit] asked the bull: Oh, who are you? Are you a bull as white as a white lotus, or are you a demigod? You have lost three of your legs and are moving on only one. Are you some demigod causing us grief in the form of a bull?

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Do Not Accept Suffering as Ordinary

  1. 1

    Mahārāja Parīkṣit saw a white bull deprived of three legs and moving on only one. He was astonished by the bull's terrible condition.

  2. 2

    Up to his time, such wretched conditions for cows and bulls were unimaginable. His response shows how unusual this suffering was under proper protection.

  3. 3

    The king asked whether the bull was a demigod in that form. He wondered whether this distress indicated the future condition of cows and bulls.

Key points from the purport
  • At least up to the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, no one could imagine the wretched conditions of the cow and the bull.
  • Mahārāja Parīkṣit, therefore, was astonished to see such a horrible scene.
  • He inquired whether the bull was not a demigod assuming such a wretched condition to indicate the future of the cow and the bull.

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. tvamyou
  2. vāeither
  3. mṛṇāla-dhavalaḥas white as a lotus
  4. pādaiḥof three legs
  5. nyūnaḥbeing deprived
  6. padāon one leg
  7. caranmoving
  8. vṛṣabull
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

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 1.17

    In this verse: “suffering”, “distress”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 1.17

    In this verse: “king”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 1.17

    In this verse: “protection”

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

Have I become accustomed to suffering that should move me to concern?

Practice

Pause today when you notice an animal's distress instead of passing by without attention.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDo Not Accept Suffering as OrdinaryThis 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 1.17.7? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories