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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 30: The Disappearance of the Yadu Dynasty
11.30.1411.30.16

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.30.15

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 11.30.5inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

पतत्पताकै रथकुञ्जरादिभि:

खरोष्ट्रगोभिर्महिषैर्नरैरपि ।

मिथ: समेत्याश्वतरै: सुदुर्मदा

न्यहन्शरैर्दद्भ‍िरिव द्विपा वने ॥ १५ ॥

patat-patākai ratha-kuñjarādibhiḥ

kharoṣṭra-gobhir mahiṣair narair api

mithaḥ sametyāśvataraiḥ su-durmadā

nyahan śarair dadbhir iva dvipā vane

Translation

Riding on elephants and chariots with flags flying, and also on donkeys, camels, bulls, buffalos, mules and even human beings, the extremely enraged warriors came together and violently attacked one another with arrows, just as elephants in the forest attack one another with their tusks.

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.

Rage Drives Violent Conflict

  1. 1

    The warriors rode elephants and chariots with flags flying, as well as many other carriers, including human beings.

  2. 2

    Extremely enraged, they came together and violently attacked one another with arrows.

  3. 3

    Their fighting is compared to elephants in the forest attacking one another with their tusks.

How it feels

Sorrow and shock → Remembrance and acceptance. Devotees face a devastating change in visible association.

Chapters 30–31 of Canto 11: The Yadu dynasty and Kṛṣṇa disappear. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 30: The Disappearance of the Yadu Dynasty

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Thus losing their intelligence, they quarreled among themselves and began killing one another, until not a man was left alive. Afterward, Śrī Baladeva went to the shore of the ocean and by the mystic strength of yoga gave up His body.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.30
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. patat-patākaiḥwith flags flying
  2. rathaon chariots
  3. kuñjaraelephants
  4. ādibhiḥand other carriers
  5. kharaon asses
  6. uṣṭracamels
  7. gobhiḥand bulls
  8. mahiṣaiḥon buffalos
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

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

What does the comparison with fighting elephants reveal about their rage?

Practice

Read the comparison slowly, then take a quiet pause before responding to any irritation today.

5

The story around it

The stories this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRage Drives Violent ConflictThis 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 11.30.15? Get an answer from the verses themselves.