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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
4.19.64.19.8

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.19.7

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
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

यत्र धर्मदुघा भूमि: सर्वकामदुघा सती ।

दोग्धि स्माभीप्सितानर्थान् यजमानस्य भारत ॥ ७ ॥

yatra dharma-dughā bhūmiḥ

sarva-kāma-dughā satī

dogdhi smābhīpsitān arthān

yajamānasya bhārata

Translation

My dear Vidura, in that great sacrifice the entire land came to be like the milk-producing kāma-dhenu, and thus, by the performance of yajña, all daily necessities for life were supplied.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Sacrifice Means Satisfying the Supreme Lord

  1. 1

    During Pṛthu’s sacrifice, the land supplied all necessities like the milk-producing kāma-dhenu. The purport describes surabhi cows, which Lord Kṛṣṇa tends in the spiritual world.

  2. 2

    Yajña means Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sacrifice means working for His satisfaction.

  3. 3

    Because qualified brāhmaṇas for Vedic sacrifices are difficult to find in this age, saṅkīrtana-yajña is recommended. By satisfying Lord Caitanya, it brings the results of the great sacrifices of the past.

Key points from the purport
  • Bhagavad-gītā confirms that Lord Brahmā created human society along with yajña, the performance of sacrifice.
  • Therefore it is recommended in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ) that by performing saṅkīrtana-yajña and by satisfying the yajña-puruṣa, Lord Caitanya, one can derive all the results derived by great sacrifices in the past.
  • King Pṛthu and others derived all the necessities of life from the earthly planet by performing great sacrifices.

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. yatrawhere
  2. dharma-dughāproducing sufficient milk for religiosity
  3. bhūmiḥthe land
  4. sarva-kāmaall desires
  5. dughāyielding as milk
  6. satīthe cow
  7. dogdhi smafulfilled
  8. abhīpsitāndesirable
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

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

How might my work change if I did it for the Lord’s satisfaction?

Practice

Set aside a few minutes today to participate in saṅkīrtana as an offering for the Lord’s satisfaction.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySacrifice Means Satisfying the Supreme 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.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 4.19.7? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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