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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
4.8.644.8.66

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.8.65

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Kingsince 4.8.65inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

राजोवाच

सुतो मे बालको ब्रह्मन् स्त्रैणेनाकरुणात्मना ।

निर्वासित: पञ्चवर्ष: सह मात्रा महान्कवि: ॥ ६५ ॥

rājovāca

suto me bālako brahman

straiṇenākaruṇātmanā

nirvāsitaḥ pañca-varṣaḥ

saha mātrā mahān kaviḥ

Translation

The King replied: O best of the brāhmaṇas, I am very much addicted to my wife, and I am so fallen that I have abandoned all merciful behavior, even to my son, who is only five years old. I have banished him and his mother, even though he is a great soul and a great devotee.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Attachment Must Not Overcome Mercy

  1. 1

    The King admitted that excessive attachment to Suruci had diminished his mercy toward Dhruva Mahārāja.

  2. 2

    He regretted neglecting Sunīti and her five-year-old son. A father should not banish his wife and children or neglect their maintenance.

  3. 3

    Dhruva was mannerly, obedient and a great devotee. There was no justification for neglecting him, and the King was deeply sorry.

Key points from the purport
  • The King said that since he was very much addicted to his wife, he had lost all his mercy.
  • Although as a father the King was affectionate toward his son, he minimized his affection for Dhruva Mahārāja because he was too much addicted to the second wife.
  • The King repented having banished his boy, for Dhruva was only five years old, and a father should not banish his wife and children or neglect their maintenance.

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
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. rājā uvācathe King replied
  2. sutaḥson
  3. memy
  4. bālakaḥtender boy
  5. brahmanmy dear brāhmaṇa
  6. straiṇenaone who is too addicted to his wife
  7. akaruṇā-ātmanāone who is very hard of heart and without mercy
  8. nirvāsitaḥis banished
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

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

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

    In this verse: “mother”, “father”, “children”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 4.8

    In this verse: “merciful”, “mercy”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 4.8

    In this verse: “devotee”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Does favoritism make me neglect someone who deserves my care?

Practice

Offer one concrete act of care to a family member you have overlooked.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayAttachment Must Not Overcome MercyThis 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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