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

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Canto 5 · The Creative Impetus · 26 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 5 · Chapter 14: The Material World as the Great Forest of Enjoyment
5.14.105.14.12

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.14.11

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:King Parīkṣitsince 5.13.26inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

क्‍वचिदुलूकझिल्लीस्वनवदतिपरुषरभसाटोपं प्रत्यक्षं परोक्षं वा रिपुराजकुलनिर्भर्त्सितेनातिव्यथितकर्णमूलहृदय: ॥ ११ ॥

kvacid ulūka-jhillī-svanavad ati-paruṣa-rabhasāṭopaṁ pratyakṣaṁ parokṣaṁ vā ripu-rāja-kula-nirbhartsitenāti-vyathita-karṇa-mūla-hṛdayaḥ.

Translation

Sometimes the conditioned soul is very aggrieved by the chastisement of his enemies and government servants, who use harsh words against him directly or indirectly. At that time his heart and ears become very saddened. Such chastisement may be compared to the sounds of owls and crickets.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Harsh Words Wound the Heart

  1. 1

    The material world contains different kinds of enemies. Their harsh words, spoken directly or indirectly, can deeply distress the conditioned soul.

  2. 2

    The purport gives the example of government chastisement for unpaid income taxes. Such criticism saddens the person who receives it.

  3. 3

    The conditioned soul may try to counteract this chastisement but find himself unable to do so. The verse compares these painful sounds to the cries of owls and crickets.

Key points from the purport
  • There are different types of enemies within this material world.
  • The government chastises one due to not paying income taxes.
  • Such criticism, direct or indirect, saddens one, and sometimes the conditioned soul tries to counteract that chastisement.

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

Misjudgment → Humility and insight. Spiritual insight hides behind social appearances.

Chapters 10–14 of Canto 5: Jaḍa Bharata instructs Rahūgaṇa. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 14: The Material World as the Great Forest of Enjoyment

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

There is the tax-exacting government, which is compared to an owl, and there are invisible crickets that create unbearable sounds. The conditioned soul is certainly greatly harassed by the agents of material nature, but his intelligence is lost due to undesirable association.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 5.14
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kvacitsometimes
  2. ulūkaof the owl
  3. jhillīand the cricket
  4. svana-vatexactly like intolerable sounds
  5. ati-paruṣaextremely piercing
  6. rabhasaby perseverance
  7. āṭopamagitation
  8. pratyakṣamdirectly
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 5.14

    In this verse: “government”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 5.14

    In this verse: “material”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 5.14

    In this verse: “distress”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How do harsh words affect my heart, especially when I cannot stop them?

Practice

Recall one recent criticism and briefly name the sadness it caused, noticing whether trying to counteract it was within your power.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayHarsh Words Wound the HeartThis 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 5.14.11? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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