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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 19: King Pṛthu’s One Hundred Horse Sacrifices
4.19.214.19.23

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.19.22

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Maitreya Ṛṣisince 4.19.1inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

वीरश्चाश्वमुपादाय पितृयज्ञमथाव्रजत् ।

तदवद्यं हरे रूपं जगृहुर्ज्ञानदुर्बला: ॥ २२ ॥

vīraś cāśvam upādāya

pitṛ-yajñam athāvrajat

tad avadyaṁ hare rūpaṁ

jagṛhur jñāna-durbalāḥ

Translation

Then the great hero, Vijitāśva, the son of King Pṛthu, again took the horse and returned to his father’s sacrificial arena. Since that time, certain men with a poor fund of knowledge have adopted the dress of a false sannyāsī. It was King Indra who introduced this.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Religious Dress Does Not Prove Spiritual Qualification

  1. 1

    Vijitāśva returned the horse to his father’s sacrificial arena. Indra’s false dress later became a model for people with a poor fund of knowledge.

  2. 2

    The purport warns that false sannyāsīs are not bona fide guides to spiritual advancement. Religious dress does not excuse illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating or gambling.

  3. 3

    Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced the saṅkīrtana movement to counter such false religion. Taking advantage of this movement protects one from its influence.

Key points from the purport
  • A type of pseudo- sannyāsa was introduced by Indra when he tried to hide himself from the attack of Vijitāśva, the great son of King Pṛthu.
  • All of them were introduced under some meaningless circumstances, and those who have a poor fund of knowledge accept these false sannyāsīs and their pretenses, although they are not bona fide guides to spiritual advancement.
  • At the present moment some missionary institutions, without referring to the Vedic rituals, have introduced some sannyāsīs who engage in sinful activities.

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 19: King Pṛthu’s One Hundred Horse Sacrifices

Indra repeatedly takes the sacrificial horse, and Brahmā restrains Pṛthu’s anger.

Back to this verse in chapter 4.19
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. vīraḥthe son of King Pṛthu
  2. caalso
  3. aśvamthe horse
  4. upādāyataking
  5. pitṛ-yajñamto the sacrificial arena of his father
  6. athathereafter
  7. avrajatwent
  8. tatthat
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 4.19

    In this verse: “king”

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 4.19

    In this verse: “father’s”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 4.19

    In this verse: “knowledge”

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 look for genuine spiritual conduct rather than being impressed by religious appearance?

Practice

Set aside a few minutes today to take part in saṅkīrtana.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayReligious Dress Does Not Prove Spiritual QualificationThis 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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