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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 8: Prayers by Queen Kuntī and Parīkṣit Saved
1.8.91.8.11

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.8.10

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Uttarāsince 1.8.9inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

अभिद्रवति मामीश शरस्तप्तायसो विभो ।

कामं दहतु मां नाथ मा मे गर्भो निपात्यताम् ॥ १० ॥

abhidravati mām īśa

śaras taptāyaso vibho

kāmaṁ dahatu māṁ nātha

mā me garbho nipātyatām

Translation

O my Lord, You are all-powerful. A fiery iron arrow is coming towards me fast. My Lord, let it burn me personally, if You so desire, but please do not let it burn and abort my embryo. Please do me this favor, my Lord.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Uttarā Prays to Protect Her Child

  1. 1

    Facing a fiery iron arrow, Uttarā appealed to the all-powerful Lord. She urgently asked Him to spare the child within her.

  2. 2

    Her unborn child was Mahārāja Parīkṣit, a great devotee of the Lord. Uttarā was responsible for his protection.

  3. 3

    The purport stresses a mother’s great responsibility to protect her child. Uttarā therefore expressed her request frankly before Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Key points from the purport
  • Abhimanyu’s widow, Uttarā, should have followed the path of her husband, but because she was pregnant, and Mahārāja Parīkṣit, a great devotee of the Lord, was lying in embryo, she was responsible for his protection.
  • The mother of a child has a great responsibility in giving all protection to the child, and therefore Uttarā was not ashamed to express this frankly before Lord Kṛṣṇa.
  • Uttarā was the daughter of a great king, the wife of a great hero, and student of a great devotee, and later she was the mother of a good king also.

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

Grief → Trust. Violence and bereavement make Kṛṣṇa's protective presence precious.

Chapters 7–9 of Canto 1: Postwar anguish, Kuntī and Bhīṣma. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 8: Prayers by Queen Kuntī and Parīkṣit Saved

Kṛṣṇa protects Parīkṣit, Kuntī prays for undivided attraction to Him, and Yudhiṣṭhira grieves.

Back to this verse in chapter 1.8
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. abhidravaticoming towards
  2. māmme
  3. īśaO Lord
  4. śaraḥthe arrow
  5. taptafiery
  6. ayasaḥiron
  7. vibhoO great one
  8. kāmamdesire
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 1.8

    In this verse: “favor”

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 1.8

    In this verse: “mother’s”, “child”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 1.8

    In this verse: “devotee”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What responsibility for another person’s well-being can you bring frankly before Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Offer a specific prayer to Kṛṣṇa for the protection of a child you know.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayUttarā Prays to Protect Her ChildThis 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 1.8.10? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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