1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 4 · The Creation of the Fourth Order · 31 chapters

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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
4.8.654.8.67

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.8.66

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
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

अप्यनाथं वने ब्रह्मन्मा स्मादन्त्यर्भकं वृका: ।

श्रान्तं शयानं क्षुधितं परिम्‍लानमुखाम्बुजम् ॥ ६६ ॥

apy anāthaṁ vane brahman

mā smādanty arbhakaṁ vṛkāḥ

śrāntaṁ śayānaṁ kṣudhitaṁ

parimlāna-mukhāmbujam

Translation

My dear brāhmaṇa, the face of my son was just like a lotus flower. I am thinking of his precarious condition. He is unprotected, and he might be very hungry. He might have lain down somewhere in the forest, and the wolves might have attacked him to eat his body.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Recognize the Needs of the Vulnerable

  1. 1

    The King remembered his son’s face as being like a lotus flower.

  2. 2

    He worried that his son was unprotected and hungry in the forest.

  3. 3

    He feared that the boy might have lain down somewhere and been attacked by wolves. These were the King’s fears, not a report of what had happened.

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. apicertainly
  2. anāthamwithout being protected by anyone
  3. vanein the forest
  4. brahmanmy dear brāhmaṇa
  5. māwhether or not
  6. smadid not
  7. adantidevour
  8. arbhakamthe helpless boy
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Īśānukathā · The science of God

    Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 4.8

    In this verse: “feared”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 4.8

    In this verse: “king”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Whose need for food, rest or protection deserves my attention?

Practice

Check whether someone in your care needs a meal, rest or practical help.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRecognize the Needs of the VulnerableThis 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 4.8.66? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories