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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 2: Remembrance of Lord Kṛṣṇa
3.2.243.2.26

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.2.25

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Uddhavasince 3.2.7inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitUddhava → Vidura

वसुदेवस्य देवक्यां जातो भोजेन्द्रबन्धने ।

चिकीर्षुर्भगवानस्या: शमजेनाभियाचित: ॥ २५ ॥

vasudevasya devakyāṁ

jāto bhojendra-bandhane

cikīrṣur bhagavān asyāḥ

śam ajenābhiyācitaḥ

Translation

The Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, being prayed to by Brahmā to bring welfare to the earth, was begotten by Vasudeva in the womb of his wife Devakī in the prison of the King of Bhoja.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord Descends for Universal Welfare

  1. 1

    Requested by Brahmā, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of Vasudeva and Devakī in the prison of Kaṁsa at Mathurā.

  2. 2

    The Lord has no business of His own in this world. He descends at His devotees’ request for the welfare of the entire universe.

  3. 3

    There is no difference between His pastimes of appearance and disappearance, but devotees do not generally discuss His disappearance. Uddhava therefore began his account of Kṛṣṇa with His appearance.

Key points from the purport
  • Although there is no difference between the Lord’s pastimes of appearance and disappearance, the devotees of the Lord do not generally discuss the subject matter of His disappearance.
  • Thus Uddhava began the topics from the very beginning of His appearance as the son of Vasudeva and Devakī in the prison of Kaṁsa, the King of the Bhojas, at Mathurā.
  • The Lord has no business in this world, but when He is so requested by devotees like Brahmā, He descends to the earth for the welfare of the entire universe.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 1

The purport of SB 3.2.25 quotesBG 4.8

This is stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.8): paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām/ dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge.

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

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 2: Remembrance of Lord Kṛṣṇa

Uddhava remembers Kṛṣṇa in devotional ecstasy and recounts His disappearance, supremacy, and childhood activities.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.2
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. vasudevasyaof the wife of Vasudeva
  2. devakyāmin the womb of Devakī
  3. jātaḥborn of
  4. bhoja-indraof the King of the Bhojas
  5. bandhanein the prison house
  6. cikīrṣuḥfor doing
  7. bhagavānthe Personality of Godhead
  8. asyāḥof the earth
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 3.2

    In this verse: “welfare”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 3.2

    In this verse: “king”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 3.2

    In this verse: “devotees’”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does the Lord’s response to His devotees’ prayers reveal about His concern for the world?

Practice

Read the translation aloud as a brief moment of kṛṣṇa-kathā, remembering why the Lord appeared.

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 3.2's connections

Live this todayThe Lord Descends for Universal WelfareThis 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 3.2.25? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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