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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
3.1.253.1.27

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.1.26

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Vidurasince 3.1.11inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

कच्चित्पुराणौ पुरुषौ स्वनाभ्य-

पाद्मानुवृत्त्येह किलावतीर्णौ ।

आसात उर्व्या: कुशलं विधाय

कृतक्षणौ कुशलं शूरगेहे ॥ २६ ॥

kaccit purāṇau puruṣau svanābhya-

pādmānuvṛttyeha kilāvatīrṇau

āsāta urvyāḥ kuśalaṁ vidhāya

kṛta-kṣaṇau kuśalaṁ śūra-gehe

Translation

[Please tell me] whether the original Personalities of Godhead, who incarnated Themselves at the request of Brahmā [who is born out of the lotus flower from the Lord] and who have increased the prosperity of the world by elevating everyone, are doing well in the house of Śūrasena.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Our Happiness Depends on the Lord’s Grace

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma are not separate Gods. God is one, and His many plenary expansions are not separate from one another.

  2. 2

    The universe is under Their control; They are not subject to its regulations. At Brahmā’s request, They appeared to relieve the world’s burden.

  3. 3

    Without the Lord’s grace, no one can become happy and prosperous. Vidura first asked about the Lord because His devotees’ happiness depends on His happiness.

Key points from the purport
  • Lord Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma are not two different Personalities of Godhead.
  • The immediate expansion of Lord Kṛṣṇa is Baladeva, and Brahmā, born from the lotus flower from Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, is an expansion of Baladeva.
  • Without the grace of the Lord, no one can become happy and prosperous.

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. kaccitwhether
  2. purāṇauthe original
  3. puruṣauPersonalities of Godhead (Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma)
  4. svanābhyaBrahmā
  5. pādma-anuvṛttyāby the request of the one who is born from the lotus
  6. ihahere
  7. kilacertainly
  8. avatīrṇauincarnated
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Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Īśānukathā · The science of God

    Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 3.1

    In this verse: “devotees’”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 3.1

    In this verse: “grace”

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 place the Lord’s pleasure before my own hopes for happiness?

Practice

Before pursuing one personal goal today, pause to consider how your action can please the Lord.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayOur Happiness Depends on the Lord’s GraceThis 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 3.1.26? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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