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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 4: Vidura Approaches Maitreya
3.4.273.4.29

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.4.28

Nirodha· Winding up
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Kingsince 3.4.28inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

राजोवाच

निधनमुपगतेषु वृष्णिभोजे-

ष्वधिरथयूथपयूथपेषु मुख्य: ।

स तु कथमवशिष्ट उद्धवो यद्धरि-

रपि तत्यज आकृतिं त्र्यधीश: ॥ २८ ॥

rājovāca

nidhanam upagateṣu vṛṣṇi-bhojeṣv

adhiratha-yūthapa-yūthapeṣu mukhyaḥ

sa tu katham avaśiṣṭa uddhavo yad

dharir api tatyaja ākṛtiṁ tryadhīśaḥ

Translation

The King inquired: At the end of the pastimes of the Lord of the three worlds, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and after the disappearance of the members of the Vṛṣṇi and Bhoja dynasties, who were the best of the great commanders, why did Uddhava alone remain?

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Uddhava Stayed to Obey the Lord

  1. 1

    The Vṛṣṇi and Bhoja associates returned directly to their respective positions in the Lord’s transcendental abode. They had no attraction for the opulence of material planets.

  2. 2

    The Lord is identical with His transcendental body, so He does not change or abandon it. His apparent birth and departure must be understood through the explanations of the great ācāryas.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa instructed Uddhava by a signal to go to Badarikāśrama after His departure. Uddhava remained because faithfully carrying out the Lord’s order mattered more to him than returning to the Lord’s abode.

Key points from the purport
  • According to Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, nidhanam means the transcendental abode of the Lord.
  • And because the abode of the Lord is the highest manifestation of transcendental opulence, His abode can therefore be called nidhanam.
  • Apart from the grammatical elucidation, the real purpose of the word nidhanam is to indicate that all the members of the Vṛṣṇi and Bhoja dynasties were direct associates of the Lord, and after the end of His pastimes, all the associates were dispatched to their respective positions in the transcendental abode.

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

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 4: Vidura Approaches Maitreya

Uddhava recalls the Lord’s instructions and directs Vidura to receive transcendental knowledge from Maitreya.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.4
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. rājā uvācathe King inquired
  2. nidhanamdestruction
  3. upagateṣuhaving overtaken
  4. vṛṣṇiof the Vṛṣṇi dynasty
  5. bhojeṣuthe Bhoja dynasty
  6. adhirathagreat commander
  7. yūtha-pacommander in chief
  8. yūtha-peṣuamongst them
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Nirodha · Returning home, back to Godhead

    What happens when everything here comes to an end? · Subject 8 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 3.4

    In this verse: “king”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 3.4

    In this verse: “inquired”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 3.4

    In this verse: “material”

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

Do I value carrying out the Lord’s instruction more than seeking a desirable situation for myself?

Practice

Complete one small act of devotional service today, giving priority to the service rather than your own convenience.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayUddhava Stayed to Obey the 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.

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