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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
4.8.794.8.81

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.8.80

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Maitreya Ṛṣisince 4.8.70inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

तस्मिन्नभिध्यायति विश्वमात्मनो

द्वारं निरुध्यासुमनन्यया धिया ।

लोका निरुच्छ्‌वासनिपीडिता भृशं

सलोकपाला: शरणं ययुर्हरिम् ॥ ८० ॥

tasminn abhidhyāyati viśvam ātmano

dvāraṁ nirudhyāsum ananyayā dhiyā

lokā nirucchvāsa-nipīḍitā bhṛśaṁ

sa-loka-pālāḥ śaraṇaṁ yayur harim

Translation

When Dhruva Mahārāja became practically one in heaviness with Lord Viṣṇu, the total consciousness, due to his fully concentrating and his closing all the holes of his body, the total universal breathing became choked up, and all the great demigods in all the planetary systems felt suffocated and thus took shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

One Devotee Can Influence the Whole World

  1. 1

    When individual energy is engaged in serving the total energy, it shares in the total energy’s power. Dhruva Mahārāja’s spiritual advancement gave his meditation an influence felt throughout the universe.

  2. 2

    As Dhruva Mahārāja concentrated fully on the Supreme Personality of Godhead and closed the holes of his body, universal breathing became choked. The bewildered demigods took shelter of the Lord.

  3. 3

    Through personal devotional service, a devotee can influence people throughout the world to become devotees of the Lord. One pure devotee in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness can change the consciousness of the whole world.

Key points from the purport
  • As explained in the previous verse, Dhruva Mahārāja, because of his spiritual advancement, became almost the total heaviness, and thus he pressed down the whole earth.
  • Thus when he closed the holes of his unit body to firmly concentrate his mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all the units of the universe — namely all the living entities, including the big demigods — felt the pressure of suffocation, as if their breathing were being choked.
  • Therefore they all took shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead because they were perplexed as to what had happened.

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. tasminDhruva Mahārāja
  2. abhidhyāyatiwhen meditating with full concentration
  3. viśvam ātmanaḥthe total body of the universe
  4. dvāramthe holes
  5. nirudhyaclosed
  6. asumthe life air
  7. ananyayāwithout being diverted
  8. dhiyāmeditation
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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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “devotional service”, “devotee”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 4.8

    In this verse: “shelter”

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does the influence of one pure devotee encourage you to take your own devotional service seriously?

Practice

Set aside five minutes today to concentrate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, gently putting aside distractions.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayOne Devotee Can Influence the Whole WorldThis 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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