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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
1.9.231.9.25

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.9.24

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Bhīṣmadevasince 1.9.12inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

स देवदेवो भगवान् प्रतीक्षतां

कलेवरं यावदिदं हिनोम्यहम् ।

प्रसन्नहासारुणलोचनोल्लस-

न्मुखाम्बुजो ध्यानपथश्चतुर्भुज: ॥ २४ ॥

sa deva-devo bhagavān pratīkṣatāṁ

kalevaraṁ yāvad idaṁ hinomy aham

prasanna-hāsāruṇa-locanollasan-

mukhāmbujo dhyāna-pathaś catur-bhujaḥ

Translation

May my Lord, who is four-handed and whose beautifully decorated lotus face, with eyes as red as the rising sun, is smiling, kindly await me at that moment when I quit this material body.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Remember the Lord with Humble Dependence

  1. 1

    Bhīṣmadeva knew that four-handed Nārāyaṇa is a plenary expansion of Lord Kṛṣṇa. He desired to see the Lord in that worshipable form and concentrate upon Him.

  2. 2

    A Vaiṣṇava remains humble even when the Lord guarantees entrance into His abode. Bhīṣmadeva still prayed to behold the Lord’s beautiful, smiling face.

  3. 3

    A pure devotee depends entirely on the Lord’s good will, rather than anxiously seeking a particular destination. His highest ambition is to remain absorbed in thinking of the Lord.

Key points from the purport
  • Bhīṣmadeva knew well that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the original Nārāyaṇa.
  • He desired that the Lord stay before him in His four-handed Nārāyaṇa feature so that he might concentrate upon Him and thus be in trance in that meditation.
  • Then his mind might be sanctified with thinking 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 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. saḥHe
  2. deva-devaḥthe Supreme Lord of the lords
  3. bhagavānthe Personality of Godhead
  4. pratīkṣatāmmay kindly wait
  5. kalevarambody
  6. yāvatas long as
  7. idamthis (material body)
  8. hinomimay quit
3

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 1.9

    In this verse: “devotee”, “worshipable”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

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

    In this verse: “kindly”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 1.9

    In this verse: “material”

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 value remembrance of the Lord more than having my circumstances turn out as I wish?

Practice

Pause for a minute to remember the Lord’s smiling lotus face and pray to remain attentive to Him.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRemember the Lord with Humble 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 1.9.24? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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