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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
3.1.403.1.42

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.1.41

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

सौम्यानुशोचे तमध:पतन्तं

भ्रात्रे परेताय विदुद्रुहे य: ।

निर्यापितो येन सुहृत्स्वपुर्या

अहं स्वपुत्रान् समनुव्रतेन ॥ ४१ ॥

saumyānuśoce tam adhaḥ-patantaṁ

bhrātre paretāya vidudruhe yaḥ

niryāpito yena suhṛt sva-puryā

ahaṁ sva-putrān samanuvratena

Translation

O gentle one, I simply lament for him [Dhṛtarāṣṭra] who rebelled against his brother after death. By him I was driven out of my own house, although I am his sincere well-wisher, because he accepted the line of action adopted by his own sons.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

A Vaiṣṇava Wishes Good Even for Enemies

  1. 1

    Vidura lamented that Dhṛtarāṣṭra had acted against the sons of his dead brother Pāṇḍu. Following his crooked sons, Dhṛtarāṣṭra had also driven Vidura from his own house.

  2. 2

    Despite these actions, Vidura never became Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s enemy. He remained a sincere well-wisher and proved to be his real friend at the last stage of his life.

  3. 3

    Such is the behavior of a Vaiṣṇava: he desires all good, even for his enemies. Vidura’s concern was for Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s welfare, despite being mistreated by him.

Key points from the purport
  • Vidura did not ask about the welfare of his elder brother because there was no chance of his well-being, only news of his gliding down to hell.
  • Vidura was a sincere well-wisher for Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and he had a thought about him in the corner of his heart.
  • In spite of these actions, Vidura never became an enemy of Dhṛtarāṣṭra but continued to be his well-wisher, and at the last stage of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s life, it was Vidura only who proved to be his real friend.

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. saumyaO gentle one
  2. anuśoceI lament
  3. tamhim
  4. adhaḥ-patantamgliding down
  5. bhrātreon his brother’s
  6. paretāyadeath
  7. vidudruherevolted against
  8. yaḥone who
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

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 3.1

    In this verse: “lament”, “lamented”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 3.1

    In this verse: “death”

  • Sakhya · Sacred friendship

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

    In this verse: “friend”

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

Can I wish for someone’s true welfare even when that person has hurt me?

Practice

Think of one person who has treated you unfairly, and take a quiet moment to sincerely wish for their welfare.

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 Vaiṣṇava Wishes Good Even for EnemiesThis 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 3.1.41? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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