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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 9: The Passing Away of Bhīṣmadeva in the Presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa
1.9.451.9.47

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.9.46

Nirodha· Winding up
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Sūta Gosvāmīsince 1.9.43inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

तस्य निर्हरणादीनि सम्परेतस्य भार्गव ।

युधिष्ठिर: कारयित्वा मुहूर्तं दु:खितोऽभवत् ॥ ४६ ॥

tasya nirharaṇādīni

samparetasya bhārgava

yudhiṣṭhiraḥ kārayitvā

muhūrtaṁ duḥkhito ’bhavat

Translation

O descendant of Bhṛgu [Śaunaka], after performing funeral rituals for the dead body of Bhīṣmadeva, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was momentarily overtaken with grief.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Grief for Separation from a Great Soul

  1. 1

    Bhīṣmadeva was an affectionate grandfather, friend, philosopher and sincere well-wisher to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. His care continued up to the last moment of his life.

  2. 2

    Bhīṣmadeva was certain that the Pāṇḍavas would be victorious because Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was their protector. As a devotee, he knew that the Lord’s devotee cannot be vanquished.

  3. 3

    Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira grieved over separation from a great soul, not over the material body Bhīṣmadeva had left. Performing the funeral ceremony was still his necessary duty, although Bhīṣmadeva was liberated.

Key points from the purport
  • Bhīṣmadeva was not only a great family head of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, but also he was a great philosopher and friend to him, his brothers and his mother.
  • Since Mahārāja Pāṇḍu, the father of the five brothers headed by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, had died, Bhīṣmadeva was the most affectionate grandfather of the Pāṇḍavas and caretaker of the widow daughter-in-law Kuntīdevī.
  • Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was quite aware of all these good wishes of Bhīṣmadeva, and therefore he must have been feeling the great separation.

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
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tasyahis
  2. nirharaṇa-ādīnifuneral ceremony
  3. samparetasyaof the dead body
  4. bhārgavaO descendant of Bhṛgu
  5. yudhiṣṭhiraḥMahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira
  6. kārayitvāhaving performed it
  7. muhūrtamfor a moment
  8. duḥkhitaḥsorry
  9. abhavatbecame
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Nirodha · Returning home, back to Godhead

    What happens when everything here comes to an end? · Subject 8 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “devotee”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 1.9

    In this verse: “protector”

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 1.9

    In this verse: “separation”

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

Whose sincere care has helped me, and how deeply do I appreciate that person?

Practice

Thank one person today for a specific way they have cared for you.

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 todayGrief for Separation from a Great SoulThis 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 1.9.46? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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