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

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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
1.8.381.8.40

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.8.39

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Queen Kuntīsince 1.8.18inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

नेयं शोभिष्यते तत्र यथेदानीं गदाधर ।

त्वत्पदैरङ्किता भाति स्वलक्षणविलक्षितै: ॥ ३९ ॥

neyaṁ śobhiṣyate tatra

yathedānīṁ gadādhara

tvat-padair aṅkitā bhāti

sva-lakṣaṇa-vilakṣitaiḥ

Translation

O Gadādhara [Kṛṣṇa], our kingdom is now being marked by the impressions of Your feet, and therefore it appears beautiful. But when You leave, it will no longer be so.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa’s Presence Makes the Kingdom Beautiful

  1. 1

    The Lord’s feet bear distinctive marks, including a flag, thunderbolt, umbrella, lotus and disc. These marks distinguish Him from others.

  2. 2

    As Śrī Kṛṣṇa walked through Hastināpura, His footprints marked its soft dust. The kingdom of the Pāṇḍavas flourished through these auspicious signs.

  3. 3

    Kuntīdevī saw the kingdom’s beauty in the presence of the Lord and His footprints. She feared ill fortune when He departed.

Key points from the purport
  • There are certain particular marks on the feet of the Lord which distinguish the Lord from others.
  • The land of Hastināpura was thus marked while Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was there with the Pāṇḍavas, and the kingdom of the Pāṇḍavas thus flourished by such auspicious signs.
  • Kuntīdevī pointed out these distinguished features and was afraid of ill luck in the absence of the Lord.

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. nanot
  2. iyamthis land of our kingdom
  3. śobhiṣyatewill appear beautiful
  4. tatrathen
  5. yathāas it is now
  6. idānīmnow
  7. gadādharaO Kṛṣṇa
  8. tvatYour
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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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 1.8

    In this verse: “kingdom”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 1.8

    In this verse: “feared”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What can I learn from Kuntīdevī’s appreciation of the Lord’s presence?

Practice

Read the translation slowly and spend a minute remembering the marks on the Lord’s feet described in the purport.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.

2 lectures given on it. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa’s Presence Makes the Kingdom BeautifulThis 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 1.8.39? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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