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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.22.7

Who is speaking and story frame

पृथुरुवाच

अहो आचरितं किं मे मङ्गलं मङ्गलायना: ।

यस्य वो दर्शनं ह्यासीद्दुर्दर्शानां च योगिभि: ॥ ७ ॥

pṛthur uvāca

aho ācaritaṁ kiṁ me

maṅgalaṁ maṅgalāyanāḥ

yasya vo darśanaṁ hy āsīd

durdarśānāṁ ca yogibhiḥ

Translation

King Pṛthu spoke: My dear great sages, auspiciousness personified, it is very difficult for even the mystic yogīs to see you. Indeed, you are very rarely seen. I do not know what kind of pious activity I performed for you to grace me by appearing before me without difficulty.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Receive Spiritual Good Fortune With Humility

  1. 1

    Personally seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His pure devotee is not an ordinary event. Such spiritual good fortune is connected with previous pious activity.

  2. 2

    Ajñāta-sukṛti means pious activities beyond one’s knowledge. The purport explains that freedom from sinful reactions and absorption in pious activities enable one to engage in devotional service.

  3. 3

    Although Pṛthu Mahārāja’s life was full of pious activities, he wondered what he had done to deserve seeing the Kumāras. His response showed humility.

Key points from the purport
  • When something uncommon happens in one’s progressive spiritual life, it should be understood to be incurred by ajñāta-sukṛti, or pious activities beyond one’s knowledge.
  • He could not imagine what kind of pious activities he had performed.
  • This is a sign of humility on the part of King Pṛthu, whose life was so full of pious activities that even Lord Viṣṇu came to see him and predicted that the Kumāras would also come.

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· 1

The purport of SB 4.22.7 quotesBG 7.28

When such things happen, they should be understood to be caused by previous pious activity, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (7.28): yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām.

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. pṛthuḥ uvācaKing Pṛthu spoke
  2. ahoO Lord
  3. ācaritampractice
  4. kimwhat
  5. meby me
  6. maṅgalamgood fortune
  7. maṅgala-āyanāḥO personified good fortune
  8. yasyaby which
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “devotional service”, “devotee”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 4.22

    In this verse: “king”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 4.22

    In this verse: “grace”

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 receive spiritual opportunities with gratitude, or assume that I deserve them?

Practice

Recall one opportunity for spiritual association and express gratitude for it without taking personal credit.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayReceive Spiritual Good Fortune With HumilityThis 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 4.22.7? Get an answer from the verses themselves.