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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
4.22.574.22.59

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.22.58

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Maitreya Ṛṣisince 4.22.48inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

वर्षति स्म यथाकामं पर्जन्य इव तर्पयन् ।

समुद्र इव दुर्बोध: सत्त्वेनाचलराडिव ॥ ५८ ॥

varṣati sma yathā-kāmaṁ

parjanya iva tarpayan

samudra iva durbodhaḥ

sattvenācala-rāḍ iva

Translation

Just as rainfall satisfies everyone’s desires, Mahārāja Pṛthu used to satisfy everyone. He was like the sea in that no one could understand his depths, and he was like Meru, the king of hills, in the fixity of his purpose.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Merciful, Deep and Steady in Purpose

  1. 1

    Pṛthu Mahārāja’s mercy relieved suffering humanity like rainfall after excessive heat.

  2. 2

    He was deep and grave like the expansive ocean. No one could fathom his purposes.

  3. 3

    His determination was compared to the immovable hill Meru. Once determined, he could not be dissuaded.

Key points from the purport
  • Mahārāja Pṛthu used to distribute his mercy to suffering humanity, and it was like rainfall after excessive heat.
  • The ocean is wide and expansive, and it is very difficult to measure its length and breadth; similarly, Pṛthu Mahārāja was so deep and grave that no one could fathom his purposes.
  • The hill known as Meru is fixed in the universe as a universal pivot, and no one can move it an inch from its position; similarly, no one could ever dissuade Mahārāja Pṛthu when he was determined.

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 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
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. varṣatipouring
  2. smaused to
  3. yathā-kāmamas much as one can desire
  4. parjanyaḥwater
  5. ivalike
  6. tarpayanpleasing
  7. samudraḥthe sea
  8. ivalikened
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Īśānukathā · The science of God

    Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 4.22

    In this verse: “king”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 4.22

    In this verse: “understand”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 4.22

    In this verse: “suffering”

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 steady am I in carrying out a commitment to relieve someone’s suffering?

Practice

Choose one small act of help for someone who is suffering, and complete it today.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayMerciful, Deep and Steady in PurposeThis 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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