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

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Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 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 10 · Chapter 49: Akrūra’s Mission in Hastināpura
10.49.710.49.9

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.49.8

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Queen Kuntīsince 10.49.8inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

अपि स्मरन्ति न: सौम्य पितरौ भ्रातरश्च मे ।

भगिन्यौ भ्रातृपुत्राश्च जामय: सख्य एव च ॥ ८ ॥

api smaranti naḥ saumya

pitarau bhrātaraś ca me

bhaginyau bhrātṛ-putrāś ca

jāmayaḥ sakhya eva ca

Translation

[Queen Kuntī said:] O gentle one, do my parents, brothers, sisters, nephews, family women and girlhood friends still remember us?

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Longing to Be Remembered

  1. 1

    Kuntī addressed Akrūra as a gentle person.

  2. 2

    She asked whether her parents, brothers, sisters and nephews still remembered them.

  3. 3

    Her concern also extended to the family women and her girlhood friends. Her question expressed a longing to remain remembered by loved ones.

How it feels

Heartache → Unbroken remembrance. Love endures and deepens despite visible absence.

Chapters 46–49 of Canto 10: Uddhava, the gopīs and the Song of the Bee. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 49: Akrūra’s Mission in Hastināpura

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

With tearful eyes, Kuntīdevī asked Akrūra, “Do my parents and other relatives, headed by Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, ever think of me and my sons, and will Kṛṣṇa ever come to console us in our distress?” Then Kuntīdevī began to chant Lord Kṛṣṇa’s names for her protection, and she also chanted mantras expressing surrender to Him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.49
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. apiwhether
  2. smarantithey remember
  3. naḥus
  4. saumyaO gentle one
  5. pitarauparents
  6. bhrātaraḥbrothers
  7. caand
  8. memy
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

  • Sakhya · Sacred friendship

    The affection of companions and friends of the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.49

    In this verse: “friends”

  • Prema · Transcendental love

    The intimacy and sweetness of devotion to Kṛṣṇa. · Theme in SB 10.49

    In this verse: “loved”

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 10.49

    In this verse: “longing”

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 among my relatives or old friends might be wondering whether I remember them?

Practice

Send a brief, caring message to a relative or old friend you have not contacted recently.

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 10.49's connections

Live this todayThe Longing to Be RememberedThis 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 10.49.8? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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