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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.15.30

Who is speaking and story frame

तान् वीक्ष्य वातारशनांश्चतुर: कुमारान्

वृद्धान्दशार्धवयसो विदितात्मतत्त्वान् ।

वेत्रेण चास्खलयतामतदर्हणांस्तौ

तेजो विहस्य भगवत्प्रतिकूलशीलौ ॥ ३० ॥

tān vīkṣya vāta-raśanāṁś caturaḥ kumārān

vṛddhān daśārdha-vayaso viditātma-tattvān

vetreṇa cāskhalayatām atad-arhaṇāṁs tau

tejo vihasya bhagavat-pratikūla-śīlau

Translation

The four boy-sages, who had nothing to cover their bodies but the atmosphere, looked only five years old, even though they were the oldest of all living creatures and had realized the truth of the self. But when the porters, who happened to possess a disposition quite unpalatable to the Lord, saw the sages, they blocked their way with their staffs, despising their glories, although the sages did not deserve such treatment at their hands.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Honor Saints Beyond Their Appearance

  1. 1

    The Kumāras looked like five-year-old boys and traveled naked, yet they were older than all other living creatures.

  2. 2

    They had realized the truth of the self and did not deserve to be barred from Vaikuṇṭha.

  3. 3

    The Lord is always anxious to serve sages like the Kumāras. Although the doormen knew this, they prohibited the sages from entering, which displeased the Lord.

Key points from the purport
  • Therefore all other living entities, including Lord Śiva, are born later and are therefore younger than the four Kumāras.
  • Although they looked like five-year-old boys and traveled naked, the Kumāras were older than all other living creatures and had realized the truth of the self.
  • The Lord is always anxious to serve sages like the Kumāras, but in spite of knowing this fact, the doormen, astonishingly and outrageously, prohibited them from entering.

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 15: Description of the Kingdom of God

Brahmā describes Vaikuṇṭha, where the Kumāras curse two doorkeepers and then behold the Lord.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.15
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tānthem
  2. vīkṣyaafter seeing
  3. vāta-raśanānnaked
  4. caturaḥfour
  5. kumārānboys
  6. vṛddhānaged
  7. daśa-ardhafive years
  8. vayasaḥappearing as of the age
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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

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

How might outward appearance affect your willingness to respect a saintly person?

Practice

When you notice yourself judging someone by appearance today, pause before acting on that judgment.

5

The story around it

The stories this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayHonor Saints Beyond Their AppearanceThis 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 3.15.30? Get an answer from the verses themselves.