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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
4.14.284.14.30

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.14.29

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Maitreya Ṛṣisince 4.14.29inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

मैत्रेय उवाच

इत्थं विपर्ययमति: पापीयानुत्पथं गत: ।

अनुनीयमानस्तद्याच्ञां न चक्रे भ्रष्टमङ्गल: ॥ २९ ॥

maitreya uvāca

itthaṁ viparyaya-matiḥ

pāpīyān utpathaṁ gataḥ

anunīyamānas tad-yācñāṁ

na cakre bhraṣṭa-maṅgalaḥ

Translation

The great sage Maitreya continued: Thus the King, who became unintelligent due to his sinful life and deviation from the right path, became actually bereft of all good fortune. He could not accept the requests of the great sages, which the sages put before him with great respect, and therefore he was condemned.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Respect Spiritual Authority and Preserve Good Fortune

  1. 1

    Vena's sinful life and deviation from the right path damaged his intelligence. He rejected the sages' requests even though they approached him respectfully.

  2. 2

    Demonic persons manufacture their own religious principles and disobey authorities such as Vyāsa, Nārada, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.

  3. 3

    Disobedience to spiritual authority brings sin and loss of good fortune. Vena's pride and disrespect toward saintly personalities brought his ruination.

Key points from the purport
  • The demons certainly cannot have any faith in the words of authorities.
  • As soon as one disobeys authority, he immediately becomes very sinful and loses his good fortune.
  • The King was so puffed up and impudent that he dared disrespect the great saintly personalities, and this brought him ruination.

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. maitreyaḥ uvācaMaitreya said
  2. itthamthus
  3. viparyaya-matiḥone who has developed perverse intelligence
  4. pāpīyānmost sinful
  5. utpathamfrom the right path
  6. gataḥhaving gone
  7. anunīyamānaḥbeing offered all respect
  8. tat-yācñāmthe request of the sages
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

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 4.14

    In this verse: “religious”, “principles”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 4.14

    In this verse: “king”

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 4.14

    In this verse: “sinful”

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 you follow spiritual instruction, or reshape it to suit your preferences?

Practice

Choose one instruction of Kṛṣṇa you have already studied and make a small effort to follow it today.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRespect Spiritual Authority and Preserve Good FortuneThis 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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