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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

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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.
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Canto 7 · Chapter 2: Hiraṇyakaśipu, King of the Demons
7.2.537.2.55

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 7.2.54

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

कामं नयतु मां देव: किमर्धेनात्मनो हि मे ।

दीनेन जीवता दु:खमनेन विधुरायुषा ॥ ५४ ॥

kāmaṁ nayatu māṁ devaḥ

kim ardhenātmano hi me

dīnena jīvatā duḥkham

anena vidhurāyuṣā

Translation

If unkind Providence takes away my wife, who is half my body, why should He not take me also? What is the use of my living with half of my body, bereaved by loss of my wife? What shall I gain in this way?

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.

Bereavement Makes Life Seem Incomplete

  1. 1

    The male bird describes his wife as half his body. His words show how closely he feels joined to her.

  2. 2

    He asks why Providence should not take him too if his wife is taken away. This is an expression of his intense grief.

  3. 3

    He questions the use and gain of living bereaved of his wife. In his lament, life without her seems incomplete and full of suffering.

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

Further reading

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 summaryBack to this verse in chapter 7.2
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kāmamas He likes
  2. nayatulet Him take away
  3. māmme
  4. devaḥthe Supreme Lord
  5. kimwhat use
  6. ardhenawith half
  7. ātmanaḥof the body
  8. hiindeed
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

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 7.2

    In this verse: “suffering”

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 7.2

    In this verse: “lament”

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

What does the phrase “half my body” help me understand about the bird’s grief?

Practice

Write one sentence describing the bird’s sense of loss, keeping his anguished words distinct from advice about how to live.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayBereavement Makes Life Seem IncompleteThis 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 7.2.54? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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