1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

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

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 1 · Creation · 19 chapters

12345678910111213141516171819

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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
1.9.471.9.49

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.9.48

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Sūta Gosvāmīsince 1.9.43inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

ततो युधिष्ठिरो गत्वा सहकृष्णो गजाह्वयम् ।

पितरं सान्‍त्वयामास गान्धारीं च तपस्विनीम् ॥ ४८ ॥

tato yudhiṣṭhiro gatvā

saha-kṛṣṇo gajāhvayam

pitaraṁ sāntvayām āsa

gāndhārīṁ ca tapasvinīm

Translation

Thereafter, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira at once went to his capital, Hastināpura, accompanied by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and there he consoled his uncle and aunt Gāndhārī, who was an ascetic.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Offer Timely Comfort with Kind Words

  1. 1

    Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Gāndhārī were already grieving the loss of their sons and grandsons. News of Bhīṣmadeva’s death brought another great shock.

  2. 2

    Conscious of his duty, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira hurried to them with Lord Kṛṣṇa. Both he and the Lord offered kind words to console the bereaved Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

  3. 3

    Gāndhārī was a faithful wife, a kind mother and a powerful ascetic. The purport honors her remarkable character and her endurance through immense suffering.

Key points from the purport
  • Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Gāndhārī, the father and the mother of Duryodhana and his brothers, were the elder uncle and aunt of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira.
  • The death news of Bhīṣmadeva, uncle of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, was another great shock for the King and the Queen, and therefore they required solace from Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira.
  • Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was conscious of his duty, and he at once hurried to the spot with Lord Kṛṣṇa and satisfied the bereaved Dhṛtarāṣṭra with kind words, from both himself and the Lord also.

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. tataḥthereafter
  2. yudhiṣṭhiraḥMahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira
  3. gatvāgoing there
  4. sahawith
  5. kṛṣṇaḥthe Lord
  6. gajāhvayamin the capital named Gajāhvaya Hastināpura
  7. pitaramunto his uncle (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
  8. sāntvayām āsaconsoled
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

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

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

    In this verse: “suffering”

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 1.9

    In this verse: “duty”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 1.9

    In this verse: “death”

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

Who near me may need kind words and timely attention?

Practice

Reach out to someone facing loss or distress and offer a few sincere words of comfort.

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.

1 lecture given on it. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

7

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 todayOffer Timely Comfort with Kind WordsThis 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 1.9.48? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories