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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 32: Entanglement in Fruitive Activities
3.32.183.32.20

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.32.19

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Personality of Godheadsince 3.32.1inside 4 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → ViduraLord Kapila → Devahūti

नूनं दैवेन विहता ये चाच्युतकथासुधाम् ।

हित्वा श‍ृण्वन्त्यसद्गाथा: पुरीषमिव विड्भुज: ॥ १९ ॥

nūnaṁ daivena vihatā

ye cācyuta-kathā-sudhām

hitvā śṛṇvanty asad-gāthāḥ

purīṣam iva viḍ-bhujaḥ

Translation

Such persons are condemned by the supreme order of the Lord. Because they are averse to the nectar of the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are compared to stool-eating hogs. They give up hearing the transcendental activities of the Lord and indulge in hearing of the abominable activities of materialistic persons.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Choose the Nectar of the Lord’s Activities

  1. 1

    Everyone has an inclination to hear about others’ activities. Materialistic persons direct this interest toward politicians, wealthy people or imaginary characters rather than genuine spiritual knowledge.

  2. 2

    The verse compares rejecting the Lord’s activities for degrading material accounts to a hog preferring stool over fine food. This strong comparison exposes a distorted taste.

  3. 3

    The message of the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s activities is nectar. The purport urges us to value that message rather than accounts of hellish activities.

Key points from the purport
  • Materialistic persons are very interested in reading such literature, but when they are presented with genuine books of knowledge like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, Viṣṇu Purāṇa or other scriptures of the world, such as the Bible and Koran, they are not interested.
  • Materialistic persons are considered condemned because they are interested in hellish activities and not in transcendental activities.
  • The message of the Lord’s activities is nectar, and besides that message, any information in which we may be interested is actually hellish.

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 32: Entanglement in Fruitive Activities

Kapila contrasts temporary material rewards with the knowledge and detachment gained through devotional service to Kṛṣṇa.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.32
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nūnamcertainly
  2. daivenaby the order of the Lord
  3. vihatāḥcondemned
  4. yethose who
  5. caalso
  6. acyutaof the infallible Lord
  7. kathāstories
  8. sudhāmnectar
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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 3.32

    In this verse: “materialistic”, “wealthy”

  • Vairāgya · Freedom from attachment

    Release from possessiveness and false identities. · Theme in SB 3.32

    In this verse: “give up”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 3.32

    In this verse: “hearing”

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 do my reading and listening choices reveal about the taste I am developing?

Practice

Replace five minutes of materialistic reading with five minutes of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayChoose the Nectar of the Lord’s ActivitiesThis 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 3.32.19? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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