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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 14: Pregnancy of Diti in the Evening
3.14.233.14.25

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.14.24

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Maitreya Ṛṣisince 3.14.5inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

एतस्यां साध्वि सन्ध्यायां भगवान् भूतभावन: ।

परीतो भूतपर्षद्‍‌भिर्वृषेणाटति भूतराट् ॥ २४ ॥

etasyāṁ sādhvi sandhyāyāṁ

bhagavān bhūta-bhāvanaḥ

parīto bhūta-parṣadbhir

vṛṣeṇāṭati bhūtarāṭ

Translation

Lord Śiva, the king of the ghosts, sitting on the back of his bull carrier, travels at this time, accompanied by ghosts who follow him for their welfare.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Śiva Kindly Guides the Ghosts

  1. 1

    At evening, Lord Śiva travels on his bull, accompanied by ghosts. They follow him for their welfare.

  2. 2

    Lord Śiva is kind to these beings and gradually guides them toward self-realization. The purport explains that he also arranges for them to receive physical bodies.

  3. 3

    The purport connects these births with intercourse that disregards restrictions on time and circumstance. Kaśyapa explains this to encourage Diti to wait.

Key points from the purport
  • Lord Śiva, or Rudra, is the king of the ghosts.
  • Ghostly characters worship Lord Śiva to be gradually guided toward a path of self-realization.
  • Lord Śiva, being very kind to the ghosts, sees that although they are condemned, they get physical bodies.

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

Threat and anger → Rescue and wonder. Divine protection appears amid cosmic confrontation.

Chapters 13–19 of Canto 3: Varāha, Jaya and Vijaya, Hiraṇyākṣa. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 14: Pregnancy of Diti in the Evening

Diti desires sons, her husband performs a forbidden act, and their sons’ destruction by the Lord is foretold.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.14
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. etasyāmin this period
  2. sādhviO chaste one
  3. sandhyāyāmat the junction of day and night (evening)
  4. bhagavānthe Personality of God
  5. bhūta-bhāvanaḥthe well-wisher of the ghostly characters
  6. parītaḥsurrounded by
  7. bhūta-parṣadbhiḥby ghostly companions
  8. vṛṣeṇaon the back of the bull carrier
  9. aṭatitravels
  10. bhūta-rāṭthe king of the ghosts
3

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

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 3.14

    In this verse: “welfare”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 3.14

    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

Can I accept a restriction as guidance for my welfare rather than merely an obstacle?

Practice

When a restriction feels inconvenient today, take a moment to consider the welfare it is meant to protect.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayŚiva Kindly Guides the GhostsThis 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 3.14.24? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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