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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 8: Dhruva Mahārāja Leaves Home for the Forest
4.8.254.8.27

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.8.26

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Maitreya Ṛṣisince 4.8.24inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

अहो तेज: क्षत्रियाणां मानभङ्गममृष्यताम् ।

बालोऽप्ययं हृदा धत्ते यत्समातुरसद्वच: ॥ २६ ॥

aho tejaḥ kṣatriyāṇāṁ

māna-bhaṅgam amṛṣyatām

bālo ’py ayaṁ hṛdā dhatte

yat samātur asad-vacaḥ

Translation

How wonderful are the powerful kṣatriyas! They cannot tolerate even a slight infringement upon their prestige. Just imagine! This boy is only a small child, yet harsh words from his stepmother proved unbearable to him.

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

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Family Culture Shapes Character

  1. 1

    Nārada marveled at the powerful spirit of the kṣatriyas. Even as a small child, Dhruva found his stepmother’s harsh words unbearable.

  2. 2

    Two important kṣatriya qualifications are a sense of prestige and not fleeing from battle. This spirit was naturally strong in Dhruva.

  3. 3

    Maintaining brahminical, kṣatriya, or vaiśya culture helps descendants inherit its spirit. The Vedic system therefore carefully maintains saṁskāra, or reformatory practices, to preserve the standard of life.

Key points from the purport
  • The qualifications of the kṣatriyas are described in Bhagavad-gītā.
  • Therefore, according to the Vedic system, the saṁskāra, or the reformatory system, is maintained very rigidly.
  • If one fails to observe the reformatory measures current in the family, one is immediately degraded to a lower standard 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.

How it feels

Rejection → Transformed aspiration. A child's wounded pride is purified by divine encounter.

Chapters 8–12 of Canto 4: Dhruva seeks and encounters the Lord. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 8: Dhruva Mahārāja Leaves Home for the Forest

Dhruva leaves home, receives Nārada’s instructions, and worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead with austerity.

Back to this verse in chapter 4.8
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ahohow surprising it is
  2. tejaḥpower
  3. kṣatriyāṇāmof the kṣatriyas
  4. māna-bhaṅgamhurting the prestige
  5. amṛṣyatāmunable to tolerate
  6. bālaḥonly a child
  7. apialthough
  8. ayamthis
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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

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 4.8

    In this verse: “child”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What qualities are being strengthened by the practices maintained in my family?

Practice

Identify one family practice that helps maintain a good standard of conduct, and observe it carefully today.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayFamily Culture Shapes CharacterThis 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 4.8.26? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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