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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 29: Talks Between Nārada and King Prācīnabarhi
4.29.294.29.32

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 4.29.30-31

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Nārada Munisince 4.29.18-20inside 4 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → ViduraNārada Muni → King Prācīnabarhi

क्षुत्परीतो यथा दीन: सारमेयो गृहं गृहम् ।

चरन्विन्दति यद्दिष्टं दण्डमोदनमेव वा ॥ ३० ॥

तथा कामाशयो जीव उच्चावचपथा भ्रमन् ।

उपर्यधो वा मध्ये वा याति दिष्टं प्रियाप्रियम् ॥ ३१ ॥

kṣut-parīto yathā dīnaḥ

sārameyo gṛhaṁ gṛham

caran vindati yad-diṣṭaṁ

daṇḍam odanam eva vā

tathā kāmāśayo jīva

uccāvaca-pathā bhraman

upary adho vā madhye vā

yāti diṣṭaṁ priyāpriyam

Translation

The living entity is exactly like a dog who, overcome with hunger, goes from door to door for some food. According to his destiny, he sometimes receives punishment and is driven out and at other times receives a little food to eat. Similarly, the living entity, being influenced by so many desires, wanders in different species of life according to destiny. Sometimes he is high, and sometimes he is low. Sometimes he goes to the heavenly planets, sometimes to hell, sometimes to the middle planets, and so on.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Find Lasting Happiness in Faithful Service

  1. 1

    The conditioned living entity is compared to a hungry dog wandering from door to door. Driven by desires and destiny, he sometimes receives pleasure and sometimes suffering.

  2. 2

    Goodness leads upward, passion keeps one in the middle planetary systems, and ignorance leads downward. These changing destinations arise from the qualities the living entity develops.

  3. 3

    Rather than depend on changing material fortune, one should become a faithful servant of Kṛṣṇa. The purport emphasizes serving and pleasing a Vaiṣṇava as necessary for spiritual advancement.

Key points from the purport
  • Therefore, to liken the conditional existence of the living entity to that of a dog is very appropriate.
  • There are many varieties of life in the different planetary systems, and these come about due to the living entity’s developing his qualities in goodness, passion and ignorance.
  • If one is in goodness, he is promoted to the higher systems; if in passion, he remains in the middle systems; and if in ignorance, he is pushed down to the lower species of life.

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 4.29.30-31 quotesBG 14.18

As confirmed by Bhagavad-gītā (14.18): “Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.”

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

Worldly absorption → Sobering awareness. The mind's identification with material life becomes visible.

Chapters 24–29 of Canto 4: Śiva's song and the allegory of Purañjana. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 29: Talks Between Nārada and King Prācīnabarhi

Nārada explains the allegory and devotional service; Prācīnabarhi leaves home to perform austerities.

Back to this verse in chapter 4.29
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kṣut-parītaḥovercome by hunger
  2. yathāas
  3. dīnaḥpoor
  4. sārameyaḥa dog
  5. gṛhamfrom one house
  6. gṛhamto another house
  7. caranwandering
  8. vindatireceives
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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 4.29

    In this verse: “material”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 4.29

    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

Am I seeking only a more comfortable material position, or am I seeking faithful service?

Practice

Offer one small, practical help to a Vaiṣṇava today, with the intention of pleasing them.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayFind Lasting Happiness in Faithful ServiceThis 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 4.29.30-31? Get an answer from the verses themselves.