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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 31: The Disappearance of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa
11.31.811.31.10

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.31.9

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

सौदामन्या यथाक्लाशे यान्त्या हित्वाभ्रमण्डलम् ।

गतिर्न लक्ष्यते मर्त्यैस्तथा कृष्णस्य दैवतै: ॥ ९ ॥

saudāmanyā yathākāśe

yāntyā hitvābhra-maṇḍalam

gatir na lakṣyate martyais

tathā kṛṣṇasya daivataiḥ

Translation

Just as ordinary men cannot ascertain the path of a lightning bolt as it leaves a cloud, the demigods could not trace out the movements of Lord Kṛṣṇa as He returned to His abode.

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.

Kṛṣṇa’s Departure Exceeds the Demigods’ Understanding

  1. 1

    Ordinary people cannot trace the path of a lightning bolt as it leaves a cloud. The verse compares this to the demigods’ inability to trace Kṛṣṇa’s return to His abode.

  2. 2

    The purport explains that demigods can see lightning’s sudden movements, although human beings cannot.

  3. 3

    Similarly, the Lord’s intimate associates in the spiritual sky could understand His sudden departure, but the demigods could not.

Key points from the purport
  • The sudden movements of a lightning bolt are seen by the demigods but not by human beings.
  • Similarly, the sudden departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa could be understood by the Lord’s intimate associates in the spiritual sky but not by the demigods.

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

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:

All the demigods who, in pursuance of the desire of Lord Kṛṣṇa, had taken birth in the Yadu dynasty to render assistance in His pastimes followed Lord Kṛṣṇa and returned to their respective abodes. The Lord’s activities of creating a life for Himself and then dismantling it are simply tricks of Māyā, like an actor’s performance.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.31
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. saudāmanyāḥof lightning
  2. yathājust as
  3. ākāśein the sky
  4. yāntyāḥwhich is traveling
  5. hitvāhaving left
  6. abhra-maṇḍalamthe clouds
  7. gatiḥthe movement
  8. na lakṣyatecannot be ascertained
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

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 11.31

    In this verse: “understand”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does this comparison teach you about the limits of even extraordinary perception?

Practice

Write one sentence summarizing the lightning comparison and what it teaches about Kṛṣṇa’s departure.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa’s Departure Exceeds the Demigods’ UnderstandingThis 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 11.31.9? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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