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 5 · The Creative Impetus · 26 chapters

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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.14.46

Who is speaking and story frame

य इदं भागवतसभाजितावदातगुणकर्मणो राजर्षेर्भरतस्यानुचरितं स्वस्त्ययनमायुष्यं धन्यं यशस्यं स्वर्ग्यापवर्ग्यं वानुश‍ृणोत्याख्यास्यत्यभिनन्दति च सर्वा एवाशिष आत्मन आशास्ते न काञ्चन परत इति ॥ ४६ ॥

ya idaṁ bhāgavata-sabhājitāvadāta-guṇa-karmaṇo rājarṣer bharatasyānucaritaṁ svasty-ayanam āyuṣyaṁ dhanyaṁ yaśasyaṁ svargyāpavargyaṁ vānuśṛṇoty ākhyāsyaty abhinandati ca sarvā evāśiṣa ātmana āśāste na kāñcana parata iti.

Translation

Devotees interested in hearing and chanting [śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam] regularly discuss the pure characteristics of Bharata Mahārāja and praise his activities. If one submissively hears and chants about the all-auspicious Mahārāja Bharata, one’s life span and material opulences certainly increase. One can become very famous and easily attain promotion to the heavenly planets, or attain liberation by merging into the existence of the Lord. Whatever one desires can be attained simply by hearing, chanting and glorifying the activities of Mahārāja Bharata. In this way, one can fulfill all his material and spiritual desires. One does not have to ask anyone else for these things, for simply by studying the life of Mahārāja Bharata, one can attain all desirable things.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Hear Bharata’s Life and Redirect Your Intelligence

  1. 1

    Devotees regularly hear, chant and discuss the pure characteristics of Bharata Mahārāja. Submissively hearing and glorifying his activities can fulfill material and spiritual desires.

  2. 2

    The forest represents material existence, where the living entity seeks money for sense gratification. The six plunderers are the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, touch and mind; the bad leader is diverted intelligence.

  3. 3

    Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Intelligence is meant for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, rather than for acquiring material facilities and using the Lord’s property to satisfy our senses.

Key points from the purport
  • The forest of material existence is summarized in this Fourteenth Chapter.
  • The word bhavāṭavī refers to the path of material existence.
  • Thus all the constituents of material existence are described in this chapter.

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:

Thus they are like monkeys in the forest. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī thus explains the material forest and its difficult path to Mahārāja Parīkṣit.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 5.14
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. yaḥanyone who
  2. idamthis
  3. bhāgavataby exalted devotees
  4. sabhājitagreatly worshiped
  5. avadātapure
  6. guṇawhose qualities
  7. karmaṇaḥand activities
  8. rāja-ṛṣeḥof the great saintly King
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

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 5.14

    In this verse: “chanting”, “hearing”, “glorifying”

  • Moha · Material attachment

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

    In this verse: “material”, “sense gratification”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 5.14

    In this verse: “devotees”

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

Am I using my intelligence mainly to gain material comforts, or to cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Practice

Reread Bharata’s activities described in this verse and spend one minute aloud praising his pure qualities as an act of devotional hearing and chanting.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayHear Bharata’s Life and Redirect Your IntelligenceThis 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 5.14.46? Get an answer from the verses themselves.