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 7 · The Science of God · 15 chapters

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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 7.5.10

Who is speaking and story frame

बुद्धिभेद: परकृत उताहो ते स्वतोऽभवत् ।

भण्यतां श्रोतुकामानां गुरूणां कुलनन्दन ॥ १० ॥

buddhi-bhedaḥ para-kṛta

utāho te svato ’bhavat

bhaṇyatāṁ śrotu-kāmānāṁ

gurūṇāṁ kula-nandana

Translation

O best of your family, has this pollution of your intelligence been brought about by you or by the enemies? We are all your teachers and are very eager to hear about this. Please tell us the truth.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Exalted Devotion Misunderstood by Hostile Teachers

  1. 1

    Prahlāda’s teachers asked whether his understanding had arisen on its own or had come from those they considered enemies.

  2. 2

    They were astonished that such a small boy could speak exalted Vaiṣṇava philosophy.

  3. 3

    They wanted to identify his Vaiṣṇava instructors so that those devotees could be arrested and killed before Hiraṇyakaśipu. Their eagerness to hear did not mean they welcomed devotional truth.

Key points from the purport
  • Prahlāda Mahārāja’s teachers were astonished that a small boy could speak such exalted Vaiṣṇava philosophy.
  • Therefore they inquired about the Vaiṣṇavas who stealthily taught it to him, in order that these Vaiṣṇavas might be arrested and killed in the presence of Prahlāda’s father, Hiraṇyakaśipu.

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

Threat → Steady faith. A vulnerable child remains inwardly unshaken.

Chapters 5–7 of Canto 7: Prahlāda refuses to abandon his devotion. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 5: Prahlāda Mahārāja, the Saintly Son of Hiraṇyakaśipu

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Prahlāda Mahārāja never liked the idea of discriminating between one’s friends and enemies. Because he was spiritually inclined, he was equal toward everyone.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 7.5
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. buddhi-bhedaḥpollution of the intelligence
  2. para-kṛtaḥdone by the enemies
  3. utāhoor
  4. teof you
  5. svataḥby yourself
  6. abhavatwas
  7. bhaṇyatāmlet it be told
  8. śrotu-kāmānāmto us, who are very eager to hear about it
  9. gurūṇāmall your teachers
  10. kula-nandanaO best of your family
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 7.5

    In this verse: “devotional”, “devotees”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 7.5

    In this verse: “philosophy”, “understanding”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Am I willing to recognize spiritual wisdom even when it comes from someone young?

Practice

When listening to someone younger today, consider the substance of their words rather than dismissing them because of age.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayExalted Devotion Misunderstood by Hostile TeachersThis 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 7.5.10? Get an answer from the verses themselves.