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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
1.9.181.9.20

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.9.19

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

अस्यानुभावं भगवान् वेद गुह्यतमं शिव: ।

देवर्षिर्नारद: साक्षाद्भगवान् कपिलो नृप ॥ १९ ॥

asyānubhāvaṁ bhagavān

veda guhyatamaṁ śivaḥ

devarṣir nāradaḥ sākṣād

bhagavān kapilo nṛpa

Translation

O King, Lord Śiva, Nārada the sage amongst the demigods, and Kapila, the incarnation of Godhead, all know very confidentially about His glories through direct contact.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Know the Lord Through Loving Service

  1. 1

    Pure devotees know the Lord’s glories through different forms of transcendental loving service. Śiva, Nārada and Kapila know these glories through direct contact.

  2. 2

    The Lord’s willingness to become subordinate to His devotees is itself a feature of His glory. His exchanges with Yaśodā and Arjuna reveal this loving relationship.

  3. 3

    Difficulties given by the Lord can free a devotee from illusory material relationships and deepen attraction to His loving service. These tribulations differ from suffering caused by vicious action.

Key points from the purport
  • Pure devotees of the Lord are all budhās, or persons who know the glories of the Lord in different transcendental loving services.
  • Tribulations imposed upon the devotees by the Lord constitute another exchange of transcendental bhāva between the Lord and the devotees.
  • All these glories of the Lord are especially known to the great mahājanas like Brahmā, Śiva, Nārada, Kapila, Kumāra and Bhīṣma, as mentioned above, and one is able to grasp it by their grace.

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 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. asyaof Him
  2. anubhāvamglories
  3. bhagavānthe most powerful
  4. vedaknows
  5. guhya-tamamvery confidentially
  6. śivaḥLord Śiva
  7. deva-ṛṣiḥthe great sage among the demigods
  8. nāradaḥNārada
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 1.9

    In this verse: “king”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 1.9

    In this verse: “devotees”

  • 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

How might difficulty help me loosen material attachment and turn toward loving service?

Practice

Set aside one small material enjoyment today and use that time to read about the Lord’s glories in this purport.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 1.9's connections

Live this todayKnow the Lord Through Loving ServiceThis 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 1.9.19? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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