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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.
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Canto 11 · Chapter 1: The Curse upon the Yadu Dynasty
11.1.1611.1.18

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.1.17

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 11.1.10inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तच्छ्रुत्वा तेऽतिसन्त्रस्ता विमुच्य सहसोदरम् ।

साम्बस्य दद‍ृशुस्तस्मिन् मुषलं खल्वयस्मयम् ॥ १७ ॥

tac chrutvā te ’ti-santrastā

vimucya sahasodaram

sāmbasya dadṛśus tasmin

muṣalaṁ khalv ayasmayam

Translation

Upon hearing the curse of the sages, the terrified boys quickly uncovered the belly of Sāmba, and indeed they observed that therein was an iron club.

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.

Concealed Deceit Cannot Prevent Its Consequences

  1. 1

    The terrified boys uncovered Sāmba’s abdomen and found an actual iron club. It was the visible fruit of their deceitful offense against the Vaiṣṇavas.

  2. 2

    Duplicity cannot bring the peace found in the society of devotees. Instead, it brings ruin to nondevotional activities and invented doctrines.

  3. 3

    The boys had thought their sophisticated cheating could remain undetected. Yet they could not protect their family from the reaction to their offense.

Key points from the purport
  • Upon hearing the words of the Vaiṣṇavas, headed by Nārada, the Yadu boys lifted the garment covering Sāmba’s abdomen and saw the fruit of the offense they had committed against Vaiṣṇavas by their deceit: an actual club was there to destroy their dynasty.
  • The Yadu boys were wary about jeopardizing their advanced position and indeed had been thinking that as long as they kept their trickery concealed, others would never be able to detect such sophisticated cheating.
  • Nonetheless, they were unable to protect their family from the reaction of their grievous offense against the devotees of the Lord.

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 Yadus, frightened by this curse, immediately lifted the garment from Sāmba’s abdomen and found a club. Hurrying to the assembly of Ugrasena, the King of the Yadus, they offered a report of everything that had taken place.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.1
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tatthat
  2. śrutvāhaving heard
  3. tethey
  4. ati-santrastāḥextremely afraid
  5. vimucyauncovering
  6. sahasāhastily
  7. udaramthe belly
  8. sāmbasyaof Sāmba
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

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 11.1

    In this verse: “hearing”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 11.1

    In this verse: “devotees”

  • Dainya · Humility

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

    In this verse: “offense”

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

Am I hiding any insincerity because I think no one will notice?

Practice

Identify one place where you are being misleading and make one honest correction today.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayConcealed Deceit Cannot Prevent Its ConsequencesThis 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.

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