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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
1.8.101.8.12

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.8.11

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Sūta Gosvāmīsince 1.8.11inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

सूत उवाच

उपधार्य वचस्तस्या भगवान् भक्तवत्सल: ।

अपाण्डवमिदं कर्तुं द्रौणेरस्त्रमबुध्यत ॥ ११ ॥

sūta uvāca

upadhārya vacas tasyā

bhagavān bhakta-vatsalaḥ

apāṇḍavam idaṁ kartuṁ

drauṇer astram abudhyata

Translation

Sūta Gosvāmī said: Having patiently heard her words, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is always very affectionate to His devotees, could at once understand that Aśvatthāmā, the son of Droṇācārya, had thrown the brahmāstra to finish the last life in the Pāṇḍava family.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa Cares for His Devotees

  1. 1

    Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa patiently heard her words and immediately understood Aśvatthāmā’s intention to destroy the last life in the Pāṇḍava family.

  2. 2

    The Lord is impartial, yet He is inclined toward His devotees for everyone’s well-being. He wanted the Pāṇḍavas, a family of devotees, to rule the world.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa established the rule of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and wanted to protect Mahārāja Parīkṣit within the womb. He did not want the world to be without this ideal family of devotees.

Key points from the purport
  • The Lord is impartial in every respect, but still He is inclined towards His devotees because there is a great necessity of this for everyone’s well-being.
  • The Pāṇḍava family was a family of devotees, and therefore the Lord wanted them to rule the world.
  • He did not like the idea that the world should be without the Pāṇḍavas, the ideal family of devotees.

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
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. sūtaḥ uvācaSūta Gosvāmī said
  2. upadhāryaby hearing her patiently
  3. vacaḥwords
  4. tasyāḥher
  5. bhagavānthe Personality of Godhead
  6. bhakta-vatsalaḥHe who is very much affectionate towards His devotees
  7. apāṇḍavamwithout the existence of the Pāṇḍavas’ descendants
  8. idamthis
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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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “devotees”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 1.8

    In this verse: “heard”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 1.8

    In this verse: “understand”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can the devotion of one family benefit others?

Practice

Reflect for one minute on how your devotion can contribute to the well-being of those around you.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Cares for His DevoteesThis 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 1.8.11? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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