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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 4 · The Creation of the Fourth Order · 31 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 4 · Chapter 12: Dhruva Mahārāja Goes Back to Godhead
4.12.314.12.33

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.12.32

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Maitreya Ṛṣisince 4.12.28inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

स च स्वर्लोकमारोक्ष्यन् सुनीतिं जननीं ध्रुव: ।

अन्वस्मरदगं हित्वा दीनां यास्ये त्रिविष्टपम् ॥ ३२ ॥

sa ca svarlokam ārokṣyan

sunītiṁ jananīṁ dhruvaḥ

anvasmarad agaṁ hitvā

dīnāṁ yāsye tri-viṣṭapam

Translation

Dhruva was seated in the transcendental airplane, which was just about to start, when he remembered his poor mother, Sunīti. He thought to himself, “How shall I go alone to the Vaikuṇṭha planet and leave behind my poor mother?”

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Remember Those Who Showed the Spiritual Way

  1. 1

    Dhruva Mahārāja remembered his mother, Sunīti, and did not want to leave her behind. She had first shown him how to seek the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  2. 2

    Sunīti was his patha-pradarśaka-guru, the spiritual teacher who shows the way, while Nārada Muni was his initiating spiritual master. The teacher gives proper instruction, and the disciple must execute the process.

  3. 3

    Dhruva knew that he was not personally the Supreme and depended on Kṛṣṇa to fulfill his desire. By the Lord’s grace, he was assured that his mother was also going to Vaikuṇṭhaloka.

Key points from the purport
  • Dhruva had a feeling of obligation to his mother, Sunīti.
  • Actually, Dhruva Mahārāja’s mother, Sunīti, was his patha-pradarśaka-guru.
  • Therefore as soon as Dhruva Mahārāja thought of his poor mother, he was assured by the associates of Viṣṇu that Sunīti was also going to Vaikuṇṭhaloka, in another plane.

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

Rejection → Transformed aspiration. A child's wounded pride is purified by divine encounter.

Chapters 8–12 of Canto 4: Dhruva seeks and encounters the Lord. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 12: Dhruva Mahārāja Goes Back to Godhead

Dhruva stops fighting, continues devotional service, leaves his kingdom, and goes back to Godhead.

Back to this verse in chapter 4.12
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. saḥhe
  2. caalso
  3. svaḥ-lokamto the celestial planet
  4. ārokṣyanabout to ascend
  5. sunītimSunīti
  6. jananīmmother
  7. dhruvaḥDhruva Mahārāja
  8. anvasmaratimmediately remembered
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

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 4.12

    In this verse: “grace”, “favor”

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 4.12

    In this verse: “mother”

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

Who first helped me turn toward the Supreme Lord, and how can I show gratitude?

Practice

Thank someone who has helped you understand or practice devotional service.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRemember Those Who Showed the Spiritual WayThis 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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