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

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Canto 11 · General History · 31 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 11 · Chapter 1: The Curse upon the Yadu Dynasty
11.1.13-1511.1.17

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.1.16

Nirodha· Winding up
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 11.1.10inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

एवं प्रलब्धा मुनयस्तानूचु: कुपिता नृप ।

जनयिष्यति वो मन्दा मुषलं कुलनाशनम् ॥ १६ ॥

evaṁ pralabdhā munayas

tān ūcuḥ kupitā nṛpa

janayiṣyati vo mandā

muṣalaṁ kula-nāśanam

Translation

Thus ridiculed by deceit, the sages became angry, O King, and told the boys, “Fools! She will bear you an iron club that will destroy your entire dynasty.”

Read the purport on Vedabase.io

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.

False Devotion Brings Dangerous Results

  1. 1

    The angered sages declared that an iron club would destroy the boys’ dynasty. Kṛṣṇa arranged this to reduce false pride and teach that Vaiṣṇavas are not foolish or mundane.

  2. 2

    Pure devotees are free from the conditioned soul’s defects of mistakes, illusion, imperfect senses and cheating. The young Yadus displayed lower tendencies as part of the Lord’s instructive arrangement.

  3. 3

    Hatred or envy of the Lord’s preaching mission is not bhakti. Claiming exalted devotion while offending pure devotees brings trouble to both the pretenders and their followers.

Key points from the purport
  • Lord Kṛṣṇa, however, arranged for the young members of His own family, the Yadu dynasty, to exhibit the dangerous lower propensities of mankind.
  • Just before His disappearance, Kṛṣṇa desired that the sages become angry at the young members of the Yadu dynasty, in order to teach that Vaiṣṇavas cannot be thought of as foolish, ignorant or mundane and to reduce the false pride of His own family members.
  • By this incident concerning the iron club from the so-called womb of Sāmba, Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself taught the dangerous results of such pseudodevotion.

The purport'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

Foreboding → Devotional urgency. Uddhava realizes that Kṛṣṇa's visible association is nearing an end.

Chapters 1–6 of Canto 11: The Yadu curse, the nine Yogendras and farewell signs. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 1: The Curse upon the Yadu Dynasty

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The sages cursed the mocking boys by saying, “She will give birth to a club that will destroy your family.” The Yadus, frightened by this curse, immediately lifted the garment from Sāmba’s abdomen and found a club.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.1
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. evamthus
  2. pralabdhāḥtricked
  3. munayaḥthe sages
  4. tānto those boys
  5. ūcuḥthey spoke
  6. kupitāḥangered
  7. nṛpaO King Parīkṣit
  8. janayiṣyatishe will give birth
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 11.1

    In this verse: “devotion”, “devotees”, “bhakti”

  • Dainya · Humility

    Ego yields to insight, service and surrender. · Theme in SB 11.1

    In this verse: “pride”, “offending”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 11.1

    In this verse: “king”

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

Do I ever mistake criticism born of envy for devotion?

Practice

Before making a comment about a devotee today, pause and check whether it comes from respect or envy.

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 11.1's connections

Live this todayFalse Devotion Brings Dangerous ResultsThis 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 11.1.16? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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