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

1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526

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 ›
Canto 5 · Chapter 18: The Prayers Offered to the Lord by the Residents of Jambūdvīpa
5.18.185.18.20

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.18.19

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 5.18.15inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

स्त्रियो व्रतैस्त्वा हृषीकेश्वरं स्वतो

ह्याराध्य लोके पतिमाशासतेऽन्यम् ।

तासां न ते वै परिपान्त्यपत्यं

प्रियं धनायूंषि यतोऽस्वतन्त्रा: ॥ १९ ॥

striyo vratais tvā hṛṣīkeśvaraṁ svato

hy ārādhya loke patim āśāsate ’nyam

tāsāṁ na te vai paripānty apatyaṁ

priyaṁ dhanāyūṁṣi yato ’sva-tantrāḥ

Translation

My dear Lord, You are certainly the fully independent master of all the senses. Therefore all women who worship You by strictly observing vows because they wish to acquire a husband to satisfy their senses are surely under illusion. They do not know that such a husband cannot actually give protection to them or their children. Nor can he protect their wealth or duration of life, for he himself is dependent on time, fruitive results and the modes of nature, which are all subordinate to You.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa Alone Is the Independent Protector

  1. 1

    Lakṣmīdevī shows compassion toward women who worship the Lord to obtain a husband for sense satisfaction. A material husband cannot guarantee protection for their children, wealth or duration of life.

  2. 2

    A husband is himself dependent on karma, time and the modes of nature. Therefore the protection offered within a material marriage cannot be absolute.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa is the real husband and master of every living entity. He is the original enjoyer, while all living entities depend on Him.

Key points from the purport
  • Therefore, factually the only real husband of all women is Kṛṣṇa, the supreme husband.
  • Kṛṣṇa is the real husband not only of the gopīs, but of every living entity.
  • Kṛṣṇa is the only husband, and therefore the relationship between a husband and wife in this material world cannot be absolute.

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· 2

The purport of SB 5.18.19 quotesBG 10.12

In Bhagavad-gītā (10.12), only Kṛṣṇa is addressed as puruṣa: “You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person.

The purport of SB 5.18.19 quotesCC Ādi 5.142

yāre yaiche nācāya, se taiche kare nṛtya. Kṛṣṇa is the original master or husband of everyone, and all other living entities, having taken the form of so-called husbands, or wives, are dancing according to His desire.

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

Smallness → Awe and reverence. A vast cosmos changes the reader's perspective.

Chapters 15–25 of Canto 5: The cosmic regions and divine worship. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 18: The Prayers Offered to the Lord by the Residents of Jambūdvīpa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Therefore the Lord alone can be addressed as master. In the tract of land known as Ramyaka-varṣa, Manu and all the inhabitants worship Matsyadeva to this very day.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 5.18
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. striyaḥall women
  2. vrataiḥby observing fasting and other vows
  3. tvāyou
  4. hṛṣīkeśvaramthe Supreme Personality of Godhead, master of the senses
  5. svataḥof your own accord
  6. hicertainly
  7. ārādhyaworshiping
  8. lokein the world
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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 5.18

    In this verse: “illusion”, “wealth”, “material”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 5.18

    In this verse: “worship”

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 5.18

    In this verse: “children”

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

Where am I expecting another person, or myself, to provide protection that only Kṛṣṇa can give?

Practice

Name one concern about your family or security, and offer a brief prayer acknowledging your dependence on Kṛṣṇa.

5

Connected stories

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

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 5.18's connections

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Alone Is the Independent ProtectorThis 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 5.18.19? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories