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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 ›
Canto 7 · Chapter 5: Prahlāda Mahārāja, the Saintly Son of Hiraṇyakaśipu
7.5.297.5.31

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 7.5.30

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Prahlāda Mahārājasince 7.5.30inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira

श्रीप्रह्राद उवाच

मतिर्न कृष्णे परत: स्वतो वा

मिथोऽभिपद्येत गृहव्रतानाम् ।

अदान्तगोभिर्विशतां तमिस्रं

पुन: पुनश्चर्वितचर्वणानाम् ॥ ३० ॥

śrī-prahrāda uvāca

matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā

mitho ’bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām

adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ

punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām

Translation

Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Kṛṣṇa are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Understand Kṛṣṇa by Serving His Devotee

  1. 1

    Those whose only aim is bodily comfort repeatedly seek material enjoyment but remain unsatisfied. The verse calls this chewing what has already been chewed.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇa cannot be understood by twisting Bhagavad-gītā to serve material purposes. Only through devotional service can one understand Him as He is.

  3. 3

    One must receive training from an unalloyed devotee to understand Kṛṣṇa and His service. Such great souls serve Him knowing Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Key points from the purport
  • As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (18.55), bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: only through devotional service can one understand Kṛṣṇa as He is.
  • Therefore it is clearly stated here that those who are gṛha-vrata, whose only aim is to live comfortably with the body in the material world, cannot understand Kṛṣṇa.
  • They cannot understand Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, or His instruction, Bhagavad-gītā.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 5

The purport of SB 7.5.30 quotesBG 18.55

As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (18.55), bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: only through devotional service can one understand Kṛṣṇa as He is.

The purport of SB 7.5.30 quotesBG 2.44

As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (2.44): “In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination for devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place.”

The purport of SB 7.5.30 quotesBG 9.13

They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.”

Quoted in the purport ofSB 3.9.17

The Bhāgavatam (7.5.30-32) says:

Quoted in the purport ofSB 4.21.23

According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.5.30), they are simply progressing to the darkest region of material existence (adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram).

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

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 replied that those who are attached to family life do not develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, either personally or collectively. Instead, they suffer repeated birth and death in this material world and continue simply chewing the chewed.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 7.5
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-prahrādaḥ uvācaPrahlāda Mahārāja said
  2. matiḥinclination
  3. nanever
  4. kṛṣṇeunto Lord Kṛṣṇa
  5. parataḥfrom the instructions of others
  6. svataḥfrom their own understanding
  7. vāeither
  8. mithaḥfrom combined effort
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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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 7.5

    In this verse: “materialistic”, “material”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “devotional service”, “devotee”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

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

    In this verse: “understand”

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Am I seeking spiritual instruction to serve Kṛṣṇa or merely to improve my material comfort?

Practice

Offer one small act of help today to someone devoted to serving Kṛṣṇa.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

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Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.

4 lectures given on it · quoted in 67 more lectures. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Show 2 more lectures on it
Quoted in 67 other lectures

In each of these he quotes this verse while speaking on another verse or subject. "Find the quote" opens the transcript at that spot.

7

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 7.5's connections

Live this todayUnderstand Kṛṣṇa by Serving His DevoteeOne of the 108 chosen lessons: a practice and a question from this verse

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 7.5.30? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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