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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
4.29.654.29.67

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.29.66

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Nārada Munisince 4.29.60inside 4 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → ViduraNārada Muni → King Prācīnabarhi

मन एव मनुष्यस्य पूर्वरूपाणि शंसति ।

भविष्यतश्च भद्रं ते तथैव न भविष्यत: ॥ ६६ ॥

mana eva manuṣyasya

pūrva-rūpāṇi śaṁsati

bhaviṣyataś ca bhadraṁ te

tathaiva na bhaviṣyataḥ

Translation

O King, all good fortune unto you! The mind is the cause of the living entity’s attaining a certain type of body in accordance with his association with material nature. According to one’s mental composition, one can understand what the living entity was in his past life as well as what kind of body he will have in the future. Thus the mind indicates the past and future bodies.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Devotion Goes Beyond the Mental Platform

  1. 1

    The mind indicates the living entity’s past and future bodies. Association with goodness, passion or ignorance leads to different conditions of material life.

  2. 2

    Nārada Muni wished the King to abandon plans for sense gratification, including plans for a better material life. Materially good qualities alone cannot save anyone from birth and death.

  3. 3

    The highest perfection of human life is to favorably accept devotional service to the Lord. Full Kṛṣṇa consciousness frees one from material desires, philosophical speculation and fruitive activity.

Key points from the purport
  • In the same way, according to the mind, we can understand what will happen in a future life.
  • The lives of the living entity, in both the past and the future, are indicated by the mental condition.
  • As explained before, all bodies in heavenly planets and hellish planets arise from mental concoctions, and the sufferings and enjoyments of material life are simply on the mental platform.

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· 2

The purport of SB 4.29.66 quotesBG 14.18

In Bhagavad-gītā (14.18) it is said: “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.”

The purport of SB 4.29.66 quotesSB 5.18.12

This is because he is hovering on the mental plane and is certain to be attracted by the glaring material energy.”

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
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. manaḥthe mind
  2. evacertainly
  3. manuṣyasyaof a man
  4. pūrvapast
  5. rūpāṇiforms
  6. śaṁsatiindicates
  7. bhaviṣyataḥof one who will take birth
  8. caalso
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”, “sense gratification”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 4.29

    In this verse: “understand”, “philosophical”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 4.29

    In this verse: “king”

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 a better arrangement for material enjoyment, or seeking to serve the Lord?

Practice

Set aside one plan for sense gratification today and use that time for devotional service.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDevotion Goes Beyond the Mental PlatformThis 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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