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

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233

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 ›
Canto 3 · Chapter 19: The Killing of the Demon Hiraṇyākṣa
3.19.223.19.24

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.19.23

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Lordsince 3.19.10inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

तदा दिते: समभवत्सहसा हृदि वेपथु: ।

स्मरन्त्या भर्तुरादेशं स्तनाच्चासृक् प्रसुस्रुवे ॥ २३ ॥

tadā diteḥ samabhavat

sahasā hṛdi vepathuḥ

smarantyā bhartur ādeśaṁ

stanāc cāsṛk prasusruve

Translation

At that very moment, a shudder suddenly ran through the heart of Diti, the mother of Hiraṇyākṣa. She recalled the words of her husband, Kaśyapa, and blood flowed from her breasts.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Diti Remembers by the Lord's Grace

  1. 1

    At Hiraṇyākṣa's last moment, Diti felt a sudden shudder and remembered the words of her husband, Kaśyapa.

  2. 2

    Although her sons would be demons, they would have the advantage of being killed by the Personality of Godhead Himself. She remembered this by the Lord's grace.

  3. 3

    Blood flowed from Diti's breasts instead of milk. The purport contrasts auspicious milk with inauspicious blood and applies this distinction to cow's milk also.

Key points from the purport
  • At Hiraṇyākṣa’s last moment, his mother, Diti, remembered what her husband had said.
  • She remembered this incident by the grace of the Lord, and her breasts flowed blood instead of milk.
  • In the case of the demon’s mother, the blood could not transform into milk, but it flowed down her breasts as it was.

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. tadāat that moment
  2. diteḥof Diti
  3. samabhavatoccurred
  4. sahasāsuddenly
  5. hṛdiin the heart
  6. vepathuḥa shudder
  7. smarantyāḥrecalling
  8. bhartuḥof her husband, Kaśyapa
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

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 3.19

    In this verse: “mother”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 3.19

    In this verse: “grace”

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

What stands out to me about the Lord's grace in Diti's painful moment of remembrance?

Practice

Reread the sentence about Diti remembering by the Lord's grace, and spend a moment reflecting on it.

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 3.19's connections

Live this todayDiti Remembers by the Lord's GraceThis 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 3.19.23? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories