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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
4.9.534.9.55

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.9.54

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Maitreya Ṛṣisince 4.9.53inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

तत्र तत्रोपसंक्लृप्तैर्लसन्मकरतोरणै: । सवृन्दै: कदलीस्तम्भै: पूगपोतैश्च तद्विधै: ॥ ५४ ॥

tatra tatropasaṅkḷptair

lasan-makara-toraṇaiḥ

savṛndaiḥ kadalī-stambhaiḥ

pūga-potaiś ca tad-vidhaiḥ

Translation

The whole city was decorated with columns of banana trees containing bunches of fruits and flowers, and betel-nut trees with leaves and branches were seen here and there. There were also many gates set up which were structured to give the appearance of sharks.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Everyone Shares in the Welcome

  1. 1

    Decorating auspicious ceremonies with green leaves, fruits and flowers is an age-old custom in India.

  2. 2

    King Uttānapāda arranged a good reception for his great son Dhruva Mahārāja. The city displayed banana trees, betel-nut trees and shark-shaped gateways.

  3. 3

    All the citizens enthusiastically took part in the reception with great jubilation.

Key points from the purport
  • Auspicious ceremonies with decorations of the green leaves of palms, coconut trees, betel-nut trees and banana trees, and fruits, flowers and leaves, are an age-old custom in India.
  • To receive his great son Dhruva Mahārāja, King Uttānapāda arranged a good reception, and all the citizens very enthusiastically took part with great jubilation.

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 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. tatra tatrahere and there
  2. upasaṅkḷptaiḥset up
  3. lasatbrilliant
  4. makarashark-shaped
  5. toraṇaiḥwith arched gateways
  6. sa-vṛndaiḥwith bunches of fruits and flowers
  7. kadalīof banana trees
  8. stambhaiḥwith columns
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 4.9

    In this verse: “king”, “citizens”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What can you contribute to making a welcome joyful for everyone?

Practice

Help prepare a welcoming space today, using a flower or green leaf if available.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayEveryone Shares in the WelcomeThis 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 4.9.54? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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