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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 9: Dhruva Mahārāja Returns Home
4.9.284.9.30

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.9.29

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Maitreya Ṛṣisince 4.9.29inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

मैत्रेय उवाच

मातु: सपत्‍न्या वाग्बाणैर्हृदि विद्धस्तु तान् स्मरन् ।

नैच्छन्मुक्तिपतेर्मुक्तिं तस्मात्तापमुपेयिवान् ॥ २९ ॥

maitreya uvāca

mātuḥ sapatnyā vāg-bāṇair

hṛdi viddhas tu tān smaran

naicchan mukti-pater muktiṁ

tasmāt tāpam upeyivān

Translation

Maitreya answered: Dhruva Mahārāja’s heart, which was pierced by the arrows of the harsh words of his stepmother, was greatly aggrieved, and thus when he fixed upon his goal of life he did not forget her misbehavior. He did not demand actual liberation from this material world, but at the end of his devotional service, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared before him, he was simply ashamed of the material demands he had in his mind.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Seek Loving Service, Not Material Rewards

  1. 1

    Hurt by his stepmother's harsh words, Dhruva Mahārāja had pursued material demands with a revengeful attitude. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared, he felt ashamed of those demands.

  2. 2

    A pure devotee makes no demand from the Lord and seeks only to serve Him sincerely and seriously. Real liberation means leaving the service of māyā for the loving service of the Lord.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is affectionate and kind toward His devotees. Although Dhruva Mahārāja's motive was impure, the Lord valued his devotional service and fulfilled his desire.

Key points from the purport
  • Dhruva Mahārāja’s demand was for a position so exalted that it was never enjoyed even by Lord Brahmā, his great-grandfather.
  • He wanted to dominate this material world in a greater position than Lord Brahmā.
  • When Dhruva Mahārāja factually saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there was no question of a revengeful attitude towards his stepmother nor any aspiration to lord it over the material world, but the Supreme Personality is so kind that He knew that Dhruva Mahārāja wanted these.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 1

The purport of SB 4.9.29 quotesSB 10.2.32

This information we have from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.2.32), wherein it is said, patanty adhaḥ, which means “they again fall down.”

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

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 9: Dhruva Mahārāja Returns Home

The Lord grants Dhruva’s desire; Dhruva regrets his former hostility and returns to his family.

Back to this verse in chapter 4.9
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. maitreyaḥ uvācathe great sage Maitreya replied
  2. mātuḥof his mother
  3. sa-patnyāḥof the co-wife
  4. vāk-bāṇaiḥby the arrows of harsh words
  5. hṛdiin the heart
  6. viddhaḥpierced
  7. tuthen
  8. tānall of them
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 4.9

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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 4.9

    In this verse: “material”, “māyā”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Is a hurt or rivalry shaping what I ask from the Lord?

Practice

Offer a brief prayer today asking for sincere service rather than victory over someone else.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

The purport quotesSB 10.2.32

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 4.9's connections

Live this todaySeek Loving Service, Not Material RewardsThis 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 4.9.29? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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