1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 3 · The Status Quo · 33 chapters

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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 3.19.15

Who is speaking and story frame

वृक्णे स्वशूले बहुधारिणा हरे:

प्रत्येत्य विस्तीर्णमुरो विभूतिमत् ।

प्रवृद्धरोष: स कठोरमुष्टिना

नदन् प्रहृत्यान्तरधीयतासुर: ॥ १५ ॥

vṛkṇe sva-śūle bahudhāriṇā hareḥ

pratyetya vistīrṇam uro vibhūtimat

pravṛddha-roṣaḥ sa kaṭhora-muṣṭinā

nadan prahṛtyāntaradhīyatāsuraḥ

Translation

The demon was enraged when his trident was cut to pieces by the discus of the Personality of Godhead. He therefore advanced toward the Lord and, roaring aloud, struck his hard fist against the Lord’s broad chest, which bore the mark of Śrīvatsa. Then he went out of sight.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Śrīvatsa Distinguishes the Supreme Lord

  1. 1

    Enraged by the destruction of his trident, the demon struck the Lord’s broad chest with his fist and then disappeared.

  2. 2

    Śrīvatsa is a curl of white hair on the Lord’s chest, a special sign that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  3. 3

    The inhabitants of Vaikuṇṭhaloka and Goloka Vṛndāvana have the same form as the Lord, but His Śrīvatsa mark distinguishes Him from all others.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīvatsa is a curl of white hair on the chest of the Lord which is a special sign of His being the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
  • In Vaikuṇṭhaloka or in Goloka Vṛndāvana, the inhabitants are exactly of the same form as the Personality of Godhead, but by this Śrīvatsa mark on the chest of the Lord He is distinguished from all others.

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 19: The Killing of the Demon Hiraṇyākṣa

Lord Varāha defeats Hiraṇyākṣa and returns to His abode amid the demigods’ praises.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.19
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. vṛkṇewhen cut
  2. sva-śūlehis trident
  3. bahudhāto many pieces
  4. ariṇāby the Sudarśana cakra
  5. hareḥof the Supreme Personality of Godhead
  6. pratyetyaafter advancing toward
  7. vistīrṇambroad
  8. uraḥchest
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

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 does the Śrīvatsa mark help you understand the Lord’s unique position?

Practice

Write one sentence explaining what Śrīvatsa is and whom it distinguishes.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayŚrīvatsa Distinguishes the Supreme LordThis 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 3.19.15? Get an answer from the verses themselves.