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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 30: The Activities of the Pracetās
4.30.114.30.13

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.30.12

Visarga· Brahmā's creation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Lordsince 4.30.9inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

भविता विश्रुत: पुत्रोऽनवमो ब्रह्मणो गुणै: ।

य एतामात्मवीर्येण त्रिलोकीं पूरयिष्यति ॥ १२ ॥

bhavitā viśrutaḥ putro

’navamo brahmaṇo guṇaiḥ

ya etām ātma-vīryeṇa

tri-lokīṁ pūrayiṣyati

Translation

You will have a nice son, who will be in no way inferior to Lord Brahmā. Consequently, he will be very famous all over the universe, and the sons and grandsons generated by him will fill the three worlds.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Good Character Brings Honor to a Family

  1. 1

    The Lord promised the Pracetās a son whose qualifications would be in no way inferior to Lord Brahmā’s. His descendants would fill the three worlds.

  2. 2

    The purport suggests that the son’s name would be Viśruta and that his good character would glorify both his father and mother.

  3. 3

    Cāṇakya compares a good son to a flowering tree whose fragrance fills a forest. Kṛṣṇa’s birth in the family of the Yadus made that dynasty famous throughout the world.

Key points from the purport
  • The great politician Cāṇakya said, “If there is a good tree within a garden or forest, its flowers will fill the forest with their fragrance.
  • Similarly, a good son within a family makes the whole family famous all over the world.”
  • Kṛṣṇa took birth in the family of the Yadus, and consequently the Yadu dynasty is famous all over the world.

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

Search → Devotional resolution. Prayer and instruction redirect household and societal life.

Chapters 30–31 of Canto 4: Pracetās and Nārada's concluding guidance. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 30: The Activities of the Pracetās

The Lord appears to the Pracetās, who pray only for His satisfaction; Brahmā later pacifies them.

Back to this verse in chapter 4.30
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. bhavitāthere will be
  2. viśrutaḥvery famous
  3. putraḥson
  4. anavamaḥnot inferior
  5. brahmaṇaḥto Lord Brahmā
  6. guṇaiḥby qualifications
  7. yaḥwho
  8. etāmall this
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Visarga · Subcreation

    How do living beings and their worlds appear? · Subject 2 of 10

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 4.30

    In this verse: “mother”, “father”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 4.30

    In this verse: “glorify”

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 might my character bring genuine honor to my family?

Practice

Do one thoughtful act today that reflects good character, without seeking recognition.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayGood Character Brings Honor to a FamilyThis 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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