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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 22: Pṛthu Mahārāja’s Meeting with the Four Kumāras
4.22.134.22.15

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.22.14

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:King Pṛthusince 4.22.14inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

भवत्सु कुशलप्रश्न आत्मारामेषु नेष्यते ।

कुशलाकुशला यत्र न सन्ति मतिवृत्तय: ॥ १४ ॥

bhavatsu kuśala-praśna

ātmārāmeṣu neṣyate

kuśalākuśalā yatra

na santi mati-vṛttayaḥ

Translation

Pṛthu Mahārāja continued: My dear sirs, there is no need to ask about your good and bad fortune because you are always absorbed in spiritual bliss. The mental concoction of the auspicious and inauspicious does not exist in you.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Devotional Service Transcends Material Duality

  1. 1

    Material ideas of auspiciousness and inauspiciousness arise from association with the material world. The self-realized Kumāras were absorbed in spiritual bliss, beyond these mental distinctions.

  2. 2

    Dwelling on material enjoyment creates attachment and desire; frustrated enjoyment leads to anger and deeper illusion. This brings forgetfulness of our relationship with Kṛṣṇa and defeats spiritual intelligence.

  3. 3

    Self-realized persons reach perfection through association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For those always engaged in His devotional service, material duality does not arise.

Key points from the purport
  • In this material world the auspicious and inauspicious are simply mental concoctions because such things exist only due to association with the material world.
  • As soon as the concoctions of material enjoyment are there, because of our association we create a sort of lust or eagerness to enjoy them, and when that false enjoyment does not actually make us happy, we create another illusion, known as anger, and by the manifestation of anger, the illusion becomes stronger.
  • By material association we lose our spiritual consciousness; consequently there is the question of the auspicious and inauspicious.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 3

The purport of SB 4.22.14 quotesCC Antya 4.176

In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya 4.176) it is said: ‘dvaite’ bhadrābhadra-jñāna, saba — ‘manodharma’

The purport of SB 4.22.14 quotesBG 2.62

In Bhagavad-gītā (2.62) it is also said, saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ: simply by association we create artificial material necessities.

The purport of SB 4.22.14 quotesBG 2.63

In Bhagavad-gītā (2.63) it is said: By material association we lose our spiritual consciousness; consequently there is the question of the auspicious and inauspicious.

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

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 22: Pṛthu Mahārāja’s Meeting with the Four Kumāras

The four Kumāras instruct Pṛthu, who dedicates himself and the fruits of his activities to the Lord.

Back to this verse in chapter 4.22
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. bhavatsuunto you
  2. kuśalagood fortune
  3. praśnaḥquestion
  4. ātma-ārāmeṣuone who is always engaged in spiritual bliss
  5. na iṣyatethere is no need of
  6. kuśalagood fortune
  7. akuśalāḥinauspiciousness
  8. yatrawhere
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 4.22

    In this verse: “attachment”, “illusion”, “material”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 4.22

    In this verse: “devotional service”

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

Does dwelling on material enjoyment make me forget my relationship with Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

When an unnecessary material desire arises today, pause and spend a minute remembering your relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDevotional Service Transcends Material DualityThis 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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