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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.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 7.4.39

Who is speaking and story frame

क्‍वचिद्रुदति वैकुण्ठचिन्ताशबलचेतन: ।

क्‍वचिद्धसति तच्चिन्ताह्लाद उद्गायति क्‍वचित् ॥ ३९ ॥

kvacid rudati vaikuṇṭha-

cintā-śabala-cetanaḥ

kvacid dhasati tac-cintā-

hlāda udgāyati kvacit

Translation

Because of advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he sometimes cried, sometimes laughed, sometimes expressed jubilation and sometimes sang loudly.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Love Expressed in Thoughts of Kṛṣṇa

  1. 1

    Prahlāda Mahārāja was always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes he cried in separation, thinking, “Where is Kṛṣṇa?”

  2. 2

    When he felt that Kṛṣṇa had returned to care for him, he laughed and became jubilant, like a child receiving his mother’s care.

  3. 3

    These ecstatic conditions are called bhāva. They are visible in the activities of a perfect devotee.

Key points from the purport
  • This verse further clarifies the comparison of a devotee to a child.
  • If a mother leaves her small child in his bed or cradle and goes away to attend to some family duties, the child immediately understands that his mother has gone away, and therefore he cries.
  • When an exalted devotee feels that Kṛṣṇa is invisible, having gone away, he cries in separation, and sometimes, when he sees that Kṛṣṇa has returned to care for him, he laughs, just as a child sometimes laughs upon understanding that his mother is taking care of him.

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

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 4: Hiraṇyakaśipu Terrorizes the Universe

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Then his life would end. When the demigods were thus reassured by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, everyone was satisfied, knowing that the miseries inflicted upon them by Hiraṇyakaśipu would come to an end.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 7.4
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kvacitsometimes
  2. rudaticries
  3. vaikuṇṭha-cintāby thoughts of Kṛṣṇa
  4. śabala-cetanaḥwhose mind was bewildered
  5. kvacitsometimes
  6. hasatilaughs
  7. tat-cintāby thoughts of Him
  8. āhlādaḥbeing jubilant
  9. udgāyatichants very loudly
  10. kvacitsometimes
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

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 7.4

    In this verse: “cried”, “separation”

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 7.4

    In this verse: “mother’s”, “child”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 7.4

    In this verse: “devotee”

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 comparison with a child teach you about a devotee’s dependence on Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Spend one quiet minute remembering Kṛṣṇa and His care.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayLove Expressed in Thoughts of KṛṣṇaThis 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 7.4.39? Get an answer from the verses themselves.