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Study a Verse

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

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Canto 7 · The Science of God · 15 chapters

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

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How to study this verse, in six steps

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.

Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›

Canto 7 · Chapter 2: Hiraṇyakaśipu, King of the Demons

7.2.50 7.2.52

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 7.2.51

Ūti· What drives us to act

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Yamarājasince 7.2.44inside 5 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → Mahārāja YudhiṣṭhiraHiraṇyakaśipu → his mother and familyYamarāja, as a boy → the queens of King Suyajña

कुलिङ्गमिथुनं तत्र विचरत्समद‍ृश्यत ।

तयो: कुलिङ्गी सहसा लुब्धकेन प्रलोभिता ॥ ५१ ॥

kuliṅga-mithunaṁ tatra

vicarat samadṛśyata

tayoḥ kuliṅgī sahasā

lubdhakena pralobhitā

Translation

While wandering in the forest, the hunter saw a pair of kuliṅga birds. Of the two, the female was captivated by the hunter’s lure.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

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

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Female Bird Is Captivated

1
While wandering in the forest, the hunter saw a pair of kuliṅga birds.
2
The pair consisted of a male and a female bird.
3
The female bird was captivated by the hunter’s lure. What attracted her was being used to capture her.

How it feels

Pride and rage → Oppression. The ruler's power intensifies his insecurity.

Chapters 1–4 of Canto 7: Hiraṇyakaśipu's ascent and intimidation. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Chapter 2: Hiraṇyakaśipu, King of the Demons

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Hiraṇyakaśipu related an account of a kuliṅga bird pierced by the arrow of a hunter while lamenting for his wife, who had also been shot by the same hunter. By narrating these stories, Hiraṇyakaśipu pacified his nephews and other relatives and relieved them of lamentation.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 7.2