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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
1.8.161.8.18

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.8.17

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Sūta Gosvāmīsince 1.8.11inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

ब्रह्मतेजोविनिर्मुक्तैरात्मजै: सह कृष्णया ।

प्रयाणाभिमुखं कृष्णमिदमाह पृथा सती ॥ १७ ॥

brahma-tejo-vinirmuktair

ātmajaiḥ saha kṛṣṇayā

prayāṇābhimukhaṁ kṛṣṇam

idam āha pṛthā satī

Translation

Thus saved from the radiation of the brahmāstra, Kuntī, the chaste devotee of the Lord, and her five sons and Draupadī addressed Lord Kṛṣṇa as He started for home.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa Reciprocates His Devotees’ Dependence

  1. 1

    After being saved from the brahmāstra, Kuntī, her five sons and Draupadī addressed Kṛṣṇa as He prepared to leave.

  2. 2

    Kuntī is called satī, or chaste, because of her unalloyed devotion to Kṛṣṇa. The Pāṇḍava family looked to Him rather than other living beings or demigods for deliverance.

  3. 3

    The Lord reciprocates His devotees’ dependence and is competent to save them. Even without being asked, He is eager to help His unalloyed devotees.

Key points from the purport
  • Kuntī is described herein as satī, or chaste, due to her unalloyed devotion to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
  • One should not, therefore, look for help from imperfect living beings or demigods, but one should look for all help from Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is competent to save His devotees.
  • Such a chaste devotee also never asks the Lord for help, but the Lord, out of His own accord, is always anxious to render it.

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. brahma-tejaḥthe radiation of the brahmāstra
  2. vinirmuktaiḥbeing saved from
  3. ātma-jaiḥalong with her sons
  4. sahawith
  5. kṛṣṇayāDraupadī
  6. prayāṇaoutgoing
  7. abhimukhamtowards
  8. kṛṣṇamunto Lord Kṛṣṇa
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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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “devotee”, “devotion”, “devotees’”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 1.8

    In this verse: “saved”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What would it mean to remember Kṛṣṇa without making demands on Him?

Practice

Spend a quiet minute remembering Kṛṣṇa’s care without asking Him for anything.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Reciprocates His Devotees’ DependenceThis 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 1.8.17? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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