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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 3 · The Status Quo · 33 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 3 · Chapter 1: Questions by Vidura
3.1.143.1.16

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.1.15

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Vidurasince 3.1.11inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

क एनमत्रोपजुहाव जिह्मं

दास्या: सुतं यद्बलिनैव पुष्ट: ।

तस्मिन् प्रतीप: परकृत्य आस्ते

निर्वास्यतामाशु पुराच्छ्‌वसान: ॥ १५ ॥

ka enam atropajuhāva jihmaṁ

dāsyāḥ sutaṁ yad-balinaiva puṣṭaḥ

tasmin pratīpaḥ parakṛtya āste

nirvāsyatām āśu purāc chvasānaḥ

Translation

Who asked him to come here, this son of a kept mistress? He is so crooked that he spies in the interest of the enemy against those on whose support he has grown up. Toss him out of the palace immediately and leave him with only his breath.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

A Well-Wisher Can Be Falsely Accused

  1. 1

    Vidura was the son of a dāsī and had no claim to a royal position. Yet he was Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s dear brother, great friend and philosophical advisor.

  2. 2

    Duryodhana knew that Vidura was a great soul and well-wisher. Still, he attacked Vidura’s birth and accused him of serving the enemy.

  3. 3

    Palace diplomacy exposed even faultless Vidura to false charges and threatened punishment. Astonished by his nephew’s behavior, Vidura decided to leave before anything happened.

Key points from the purport
  • Vidura was the son of such a dāsī, and he was thus not counted amongst the kṣatriyas.
  • He desired that Vidura be immediately put out of the palace and deprived of all his possessions.
  • Vidura was struck with wonder at such unexpected behavior from his nephew Duryodhana, and before anything actually happened, he decided to leave the palace for good.

Śrīla Prabhupāda'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

Separation → Devotional remembrance. Uddhava's tears and silence make remembrance emotionally immediate.

Chapters 1–4 of Canto 3: Vidura meets Uddhava and hears of Kṛṣṇa. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 1: Questions by Vidura

Vidura leaves home, travels to holy places, and asks Uddhava about Kṛṣṇa’s associates and his relatives.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.1
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kaḥwho
  2. enamthis
  3. atrahere
  4. upajuhāvacalled for
  5. jihmamcrooked
  6. dāsyāḥof a kept mistress
  7. sutamson
  8. yatwhose
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

  • Sakhya · Sacred friendship

    The affection of companions and friends of the Lord. · Theme in SB 3.1

    In this verse: “friend”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 3.1

    In this verse: “philosophical”

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

Do I dismiss a well-wisher because their advice does not favor my interests?

Practice

Recall one uncomfortable piece of advice and consider its value without judging the adviser’s background.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 3.1's connections

Live this todayA Well-Wisher Can Be Falsely AccusedThis 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 3.1.15? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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