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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 14: The Story of King Vena
4.14.184.14.20

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.14.19

Manvantara· The Manus and right duty
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The saintly personssince 4.14.17inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

तस्य राज्ञो महाभाग भगवान् भूतभावन: ।

परितुष्यति विश्वात्मा तिष्ठतो निजशासने ॥ १९ ॥

tasya rājño mahā-bhāga

bhagavān bhūta-bhāvanaḥ

parituṣyati viśvātmā

tiṣṭhato nija-śāsane

Translation

O noble one, if the king sees that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original cause of the cosmic manifestation and the Supersoul within everyone, is worshiped, the Lord will be satisfied.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Real Happiness Requires Devotional Service

  1. 1

    The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original cause of the cosmic manifestation and the Supersoul within everyone. A ruler satisfies Him by ensuring that He is worshiped.

  2. 2

    Neither government nor citizens can be truly happy without devotional service. Advancing sense gratification instead brings deeper entanglement in the laws of material nature.

  3. 3

    Surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead frees people from the three modes of material nature. Both rulers and citizens are responsible for carrying out varṇāśrama-dharma.

Key points from the purport
  • It is a fact that the government’s duty is to see that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied by the activities of the people as well as by the activities of the government.
  • There is no possibility of happiness if the government or citizenry have no idea of Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the original cause of the cosmic manifestation, or if they have no knowledge of bhūta-bhāvana, who is viśvātmā, or the Supersoul, the soul of everyone’s soul.
  • At the present moment neither the king nor the governing body is interested in seeing that the people are engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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

Anger and disorder → Duty and devotion. Kingship shifts from domination to stewardship and renunciation.

Chapters 13–23 of Canto 4: Vena and Pṛthu: power, the Earth and stewardship. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 14: The Story of King Vena

Vena rejects the sages’ advice; after his death, they seek to preserve King Aṅga’s family.

Back to this verse in chapter 4.14
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tasyawith him
  2. rājñaḥthe king
  3. mahā-bhāgaO noble one
  4. bhagavānthe Supreme Personality of Godhead
  5. bhūta-bhāvanaḥwho is the original cause of the cosmic manifestation
  6. parituṣyatibecomes satisfied
  7. viśva-ātmāthe Supersoul of the entire universe
  8. tiṣṭhataḥbeing situated
  9. nija-śāsanein his own governing situation
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Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Manvantara · The change of Manus

    What gives human life its right direction? · Subject 6 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 4.14

    In this verse: “king”, “ruler”, “government”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 4.14

    In this verse: “worshiped”, “devotional service”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 4.14

    In this verse: “sense gratification”, “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

Am I seeking happiness mainly through sense gratification or through devotional service?

Practice

Use a few minutes you would ordinarily spend on sense gratification for devotional service instead.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayReal Happiness Requires Devotional ServiceThis 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 4.14.19? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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