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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

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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

11.1.21 11.1.23

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.1.22

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

कश्चिन्मत्स्योऽग्रसील्ल‍ोहं चूर्णानि तरलैस्तत: ।

उह्यमानानि वेलायां लग्नान्यासन् किलैरका: ॥ २२ ॥

kaścin matsyo ’grasīl lohaṁ

cūrṇāni taralais tataḥ

uhyamānāni velāyāṁ

lagnāny āsan kilairakāḥ

Translation

A certain fish swallowed the iron lump, and the bits of iron, carried back to the shore by the waves, implanted themselves there and grew into tall, sharp canes.

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.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Discarded Iron Took New Forms

1
A fish swallowed the remaining iron lump. The lump did not simply disappear after being thrown into the ocean.
2
The waves carried the bits of iron back to shore. There they became lodged in the ground.
3
The iron bits grew into tall, sharp canes. Disposing of the club had not brought its effects to an end.

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

Chapter 1: The Curse upon the Yadu Dynasty

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Within the ocean, a fish swallowed the last remaining lump of iron, and the waves carried all the bits of ground powder to the shore, where they were implanted and eventually grew into a grove of canes. Fishermen caught the fish, and a hunter named Jarā used the iron lump found in its belly to fashion an arrow.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 11.1