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 31: Lord Kapila’s Instructions on the Movements of the Living Entities
3.31.253.31.27

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.31.26

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Kapilasince 3.31.22inside 4 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → ViduraLord Kapila → Devahūti

शायितोऽशुचिपर्यङ्के जन्तु: स्वेदज-दूषिते ।

नेश: कण्डूयनेऽङ्गानामासनोत्थानचेष्टने ॥ २६ ॥

śāyito ’śuci-paryaṅke

jantuḥ svedaja-dūṣite

neśaḥ kaṇḍūyane ’ṅgānām

āsanotthāna-ceṣṭane

Translation

Laid down on a foul bed infested with sweat and germs, the poor child is incapable of scratching his body to get relief from his itching sensation, to say nothing of sitting up, standing or even moving.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Helpless to Relieve Bodily Discomfort

  1. 1

    The child is born crying and suffering, and that suffering continues after birth.

  2. 2

    A foul bed contaminated by bodily waste and germs disturbs him and makes him cry.

  3. 3

    He cannot even scratch an itch, much less sit up or stand. He is unable to take measures for his own relief.

Key points from the purport
  • It should be noted that the child is born crying and suffering.
  • After birth the same suffering continues, and he cries.
  • Because he is disturbed by the germs in his foul bed, which is contaminated by his urine and stool, the poor child continues to cry.

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

Entanglement → Insight and liberation. Inquiry matures into instruction in devotion and spiritual nature.

Chapters 25–33 of Canto 3: Kapila instructs Devahūti. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 31: Lord Kapila’s Instructions on the Movements of the Living Entities

Kapila describes life in the womb, prayer, birth, forgetfulness, and continued bondage through material activities.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.31
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śāyitaḥlaid down
  2. aśuci-paryaṅkeon a foul bed
  3. jantuḥthe child
  4. sveda-jawith creatures born from sweat
  5. dūṣiteinfested
  6. na īśaḥincapable of
  7. kaṇḍūyanescratching
  8. aṅgānāmhis limbs
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 3.31

    In this verse: “child”

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 3.31

    In this verse: “contaminated”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 3.31

    In this verse: “suffering”

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 child’s inability to relieve discomfort deepen my concern for dependent people?

Practice

Help clean a resting place for someone who depends on others, if you have the opportunity today.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayHelpless to Relieve Bodily DiscomfortThis 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 3.31.26? 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