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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 3: Talks Between Lord Śiva and Satī
4.3.164.3.18

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.3.17

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The great lordsince 4.3.16inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

विद्यातपोवित्तवपुर्वय:कुलै:

सतां गुणै: षड्‌भिरसत्तमेतरै: ।

स्मृतौ हतायां भृतमानदुर्दृश:

स्तब्धा न पश्यन्ति हि धाम भूयसाम् ॥ १७ ॥

vidyā-tapo-vitta-vapur-vayaḥ-kulaiḥ

satāṁ guṇaiḥ ṣaḍbhir asattametaraiḥ

smṛtau hatāyāṁ bhṛta-māna-durdṛśaḥ

stabdhā na paśyanti hi dhāma bhūyasām

Translation

Although the six qualities education, austerity, wealth, beauty, youth and heritage are for the highly elevated, one who is proud of possessing them becomes blind, and thus he loses his good sense and cannot appreciate the glories of great personalities.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Make Material Assets Glorious Through Service

  1. 1

    Education, austerity, wealth, beauty, youth and heritage can be good qualities, but pride in them destroys good sense.

  2. 2

    When material assets belong to a malicious, envious person, they act adversely. Dakṣa’s pride and envy polluted his qualifications.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is easily approached by those without material acquisitions. When assets are used in His devotional service, they become glorious.

Key points from the purport
  • Similarly, material assets such as education, wealth, beauty and good parentage are undoubtedly nice, but when they decorate persons of a malicious nature, then they act adversely.
  • Similarly, although Dakṣa was qualified by many material assets, because he was proud of his possessions and because he was envious, all those qualities were polluted.
  • Material exhaustion is an advantage for advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, although if one is conscious of his eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can utilize one’s material assets, such as great learning and beauty and exalted ancestry, for the service of the Lord; then such assets become glorious.

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

Humiliation and anger → Reconciliation. Relational offense leads to grief and destruction before restoration.

Chapters 1–7 of Canto 4: Dakṣa, Satī and Śiva. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 3: Talks Between Lord Śiva and Satī

Satī wishes to attend her father’s sacrifice; Lord Śiva warns her about envy and hurtful words.

Back to this verse in chapter 4.3
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. vidyāeducation
  2. tapaḥausterity
  3. vittawealth
  4. vapuḥbeauty of body, etc.
  5. vayaḥyouth
  6. kulaiḥwith heritage
  7. satāmof the pious
  8. guṇaiḥby such qualities
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 4.3

    In this verse: “wealth”, “material”

  • Dainya · Humility

    Ego yields to insight, service and surrender. · Theme in SB 4.3

    In this verse: “proud”, “pride”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 4.3

    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

Which of my abilities or possessions could I use in Kṛṣṇa’s service rather than for pride?

Practice

Use one ability or possession in a small act of devotional service today.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 4.3's connections

Live this todayMake Material Assets Glorious Through 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 4.3.17? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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