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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

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

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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 30: The Disappearance of the Yadu Dynasty

11.30.42 11.30.44

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.30.43

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Dārukasince 11.30.43inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

अपश्यतस्त्वच्चरणाम्बुजं प्रभो

द‍ृष्टि: प्रणष्टा तमसि प्रविष्टा ।

दिशो न जाने न लभे च शान्तिं

यथा निशायामुडुपे प्रणष्टे ॥ ४३ ॥

apaśyatas tvac-caraṇāmbujaṁ prabho

dṛṣṭiḥ praṇaṣṭā tamasi praviṣṭā

diśo na jāne na labhe ca śāntiṁ

yathā niśāyām uḍupe praṇaṣṭe

Translation

Dāruka said: Just as on a moonless night people are merged into darkness and cannot find their way, now that I have lost sight of Your lotus feet, my Lord, I have lost my vision and am wandering blindly in darkness. I cannot tell my direction, nor can I find any peace.

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.

Without the Lord, Dāruka Finds No Peace

1
Dāruka compares losing sight of the Lord’s lotus feet to being lost in the darkness of a moonless night.
2
He feels that his vision is gone and that he can no longer tell his direction.
3
He openly tells the Lord that he cannot find peace. His words express how deeply he depends on the Lord’s presence.

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

Chapter 30: The Disappearance of the Yadu Dynasty

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

When Dāruka, Kṛṣṇa’s charioteer, arrived on the scene and saw Lord Kṛṣṇa in that condition, he began to lament. Kṛṣṇa told him that he should go to Dvārakā, inform the residents about the annihilation of the Yadu dynasty, and advise them all to leave Dvārakā for Indraprastha.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 11.30