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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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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 8: A Description of the Character of Bharata Mahārāja
5.8.15.8.3

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.8.2

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 5.8.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तत्र तदा राजन् हरिणी पिपासया जलाशयाभ्याशमेकैवोपजगाम ॥ २ ॥

tatra tadā rājan hariṇī pipāsayā jalāśayābhyāśam ekaivopajagāma.

Translation

O King, while Bharata Mahārāja was sitting on the bank of that river, a doe, being very thirsty, came there to drink.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

A Thirsty Doe Approaches

  1. 1

    Bharata Mahārāja was sitting on the bank of the river.

  2. 2

    A doe came to that same place while he was there.

  3. 3

    The doe was very thirsty and came to drink.

How it feels

Compassion and attachment → Regret and vigilance. Affection becomes binding when it displaces devotion.

Chapters 7–9 of Canto 5: Bharata, the deer and the birth of Jaḍa Bharata. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 8: A Description of the Character of Bharata Mahārāja

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

One day after Bharata Mahārāja had taken his bath as usual in the river Gaṇḍakī and was chanting his mantra, he saw a pregnant deer come to the river to drink water. Suddenly there could be heard the thundering roar of a lion, and the deer was so frightened that it immediately gave birth to its calf.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 5.8
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tatraon the bank of the river
  2. tadāat the time
  3. rājanO King
  4. hariṇīa doe
  5. pipāsayābecause of thirst
  6. jalāśaya-abhyāśamnear the river
  7. ekaone
  8. evacertainly
  9. upajagāmaarrived
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 5.8

    In this verse: “king”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Do I notice the simple needs of living creatures around me?

Practice

Take a moment today to notice a living creature’s need for water.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayA Thirsty Doe ApproachesThis 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 5.8.2? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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  3. Lead
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