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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 9: The Passing Away of Bhīṣmadeva in the Presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa
1.9.151.9.17

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.9.16

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Bhīṣmadevasince 1.9.12inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

न ह्यस्य कर्हिचिद्राजन् पुमान् वेद विधित्सितम् ।

यद्विजिज्ञासया युक्ता मुह्यन्ति कवयोऽपि हि ॥ १६ ॥

na hy asya karhicid rājan

pumān veda vidhitsitam

yad vijijñāsayā yuktā

muhyanti kavayo ’pi hi

Translation

O King, no one can know the plan of the Lord [Śrī Kṛṣṇa]. Even though great philosophers inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Follow the Lord Beyond Our Understanding

  1. 1

    Even great philosophers and demigods cannot ascertain the Lord’s plan through exhaustive inquiry. The best course is to abide by His orders without argument.

  2. 2

    The Pāṇḍavas’ suffering was not caused by their past sinful deeds. They suffered temporarily as the Lord established the kingdom of virtue.

  3. 3

    Bhīṣmadeva was glad to see virtue triumph, although he had fought against the Pāṇḍavas. His defeat showed that even a great fighter cannot win on the wrong side when the Lord wills otherwise.

Key points from the purport
  • Bhīṣma wanted to impress upon Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira that since time immemorial no one, including such demigods as Śiva and Brahmā, could ascertain the real plan of the Lord.
  • Even a great fighter like Bhīṣma could not win the Battle of Kurukṣetra because the Lord wanted to show that vice cannot conquer virtue, regardless of who tries to execute it.
  • Bhīṣmadeva was a great devotee of the Lord, but he chose to fight against the Pāṇḍavas by the will of the Lord because the Lord wanted to show that a fighter like Bhīṣma cannot win on the wrong side.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 2

Quoted in the purport ofSB 3.4.16

The right explanation of the Lord’s activities is given by Grandfather Bhīṣmadeva as follows:

Quoted in the purport ofSB 6.3.14-15

As stated by Bhīṣmadeva to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.9.16): “O King, no one can know the plan of the Lord [Śrī Kṛṣṇa].

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

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 9: The Passing Away of Bhīṣmadeva in the Presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa

Bhīṣmadeva instructs Yudhiṣṭhira and fixes his attention on Kṛṣṇa as he prepares to pass away.

Back to this verse in chapter 1.9
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nanever
  2. hicertainly
  3. asyaHis
  4. karhicitwhatsoever
  5. rājanO King
  6. pumānanyone
  7. vedaknows
  8. vidhitsitamplan
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

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 1.9

    In this verse: “inquire”, “philosophers”, “inquiry”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 1.9

    In this verse: “king”, “kingdom”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 1.9

    In this verse: “suffering”

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

Can I follow the Lord’s instruction without first demanding to understand His entire plan?

Practice

Choose one instruction of the Lord that you already know and take one concrete step to follow it today.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayFollow the Lord Beyond Our UnderstandingThis 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 1.9.16? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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