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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 31: The Disappearance of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa
11.31.1811.31.20

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.31.19

Nirodha· Winding up
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 11.31.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

प्राणांश्च विजहुस्तत्र भगवद्विरहातुरा: ।

उपगुह्य पतींस्तात चितामारुरुहु: स्‍त्रिय: ॥ १९ ॥

prāṇāṁś ca vijahus tatra

bhagavad-virahāturāḥ

upaguhya patīṁs tāta

citām āruruhuḥ striyaḥ

Translation

Tormented by separation from the Lord, His parents gave up their lives at that very spot. My dear Parīkṣit, the wives of the Yādavas then climbed onto the funeral pyres, embracing their dead husbands.

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.

The Anguish of Separation from the Lord

  1. 1

    The Lord’s parents were tormented by separation from Him. They gave up their lives at that very spot.

  2. 2

    The wives of the Yādavas embraced their dead husbands and climbed onto the funeral pyres.

  3. 3

    The verse recounts a scene of profound bereavement, placing the parents’ anguish at separation from the Lord at its center.

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 31: The Disappearance of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Though overcome by feelings of separation from Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna was nevertheless able to pacify himself by remembering all the various instructions given to him by the Lord. Arjuna then carried out the rituals of offering piṇḍa and so on for his dead relatives.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.31
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. prāṇāntheir lives
  2. caand
  3. vijahuḥthey gave up
  4. tatrathere
  5. bhagavatfrom the Personality of Godhead
  6. virahabecause of separation
  7. āturāḥtormented
  8. upagahyaembracing
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

  • Vairāgya · Freedom from attachment

    Release from possessiveness and false identities. · Theme in SB 11.31

    In this verse: “gave up”

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 11.31

    In this verse: “separation”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does the parents’ anguish reveal about their attachment to the Lord?

Practice

Spend a quiet minute reflecting on how deeply the Lord’s parents loved Him.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Anguish of Separation from the LordThis 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 11.31.19? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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