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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
3.1.63.1.8

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.1.7

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 3.1.6inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

यदा सभायां कुरुदेवदेव्या:

केशाभिमर्शं सुतकर्म गर्ह्यम् ।

न वारयामास नृप: स्‍नुषाया:

स्वास्रैर्हरन्त्या: कुचकुङ्कुमानि ॥ ७ ॥

yadā sabhāyāṁ kuru-deva-devyāḥ

keśābhimarśaṁ suta-karma garhyam

na vārayām āsa nṛpaḥ snuṣāyāḥ

svāsrair harantyāḥ kuca-kuṅkumāni

Translation

The King did not forbid his son Duḥśāsana’s abominable action of grabbing the hair of Draupadī, the wife of the godly King Yudhiṣṭhira, even though her tears washed the red dust on her breast.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Do Not Ignore Another Person’s Mistreatment

  1. 1

    Duḥśāsana grabbed Draupadī’s hair, an action the verse calls abominable.

  2. 2

    Draupadī, the wife of godly King Yudhiṣṭhira, wept so deeply that her tears washed the red dust on her breast.

  3. 3

    The King did not forbid his son’s action. The verse highlights his failure to stop this mistreatment.

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. yadāwhen
  2. sabhāyāmthe assembly
  3. kuru-deva-devyāḥof Draupadī, the wife of godly Yudhiṣṭhira
  4. keśa-abhimarśaminsult by grabbing her hair
  5. suta-karmaaction taken by his son
  6. garhyamwhich was abominable
  7. nadid not
  8. vārayām āsaforbid
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 3.1

    In this verse: “king”

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

When someone is mistreated, do I overlook it because of my relationship with the person responsible?

Practice

If you witness mistreatment today, take one safe, clear step to object or seek help.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDo Not Ignore Another Person’s MistreatmentThis 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 3.1.7? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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