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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
7.5.427.5.45

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 7.5.43-44

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
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

दिग्गजैर्दन्दशूकेन्द्रैरभिचारावपातनै: ।

मायाभि: सन्निरोधैश्च गरदानैरभोजनै: ।

हिमवाय्वग्निसलिलै: पर्वताक्रमणैरपि ॥ ४३ ॥

न शशाक यदा हन्तुमपापमसुर: सुतम् ।

चिन्तां दीर्घतमां प्राप्तस्तत्कर्तुं नाभ्यपद्यत ॥ ४४ ॥

dig-gajair dandaśūkendrair

abhicārāvapātanaiḥ

māyābhiḥ sannirodhaiś ca

gara-dānair abhojanaiḥ

hima-vāyv-agni-salilaiḥ

parvatākramaṇair api

na śaśāka yadā hantum

apāpam asuraḥ sutam

cintāṁ dīrghatamāṁ prāptas

tat-kartuṁ nābhyapadyata

Translation

Hiraṇyakaśipu could not kill his son by throwing him beneath the feet of big elephants, throwing him among huge, fearful snakes, employing destructive spells, hurling him from the top of a hill, conjuring up illusory tricks, administering poison, starving him, exposing him to severe cold, winds, fire and water, or throwing heavy stones to crush him. When Hiraṇyakaśipu found that he could not in any way harm Prahlāda, who was completely sinless, he was in great anxiety about what to do next.

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.

Cruelty Cannot Harm Sinless Prahlāda

  1. 1

    Hiraṇyakaśipu tried to kill his son through elephants, fearful snakes, destructive spells, and a fall from a hill.

  2. 2

    Poison, starvation, severe cold, winds, fire, water, and heavy stones also failed to harm Prahlāda.

  3. 3

    Prahlāda was completely sinless. Unable to harm him in any way, Hiraṇyakaśipu became deeply anxious about what to do next.

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:

The assistants of Hiraṇyakaśipu struck Prahlāda with sharp weapons, threw him under the feet of elephants, subjected him to hellish conditions, threw him from the peak of a mountain and tried to kill him in thousands of other ways, but they were unsuccessful. Hiraṇyakaśipu therefore became increasingly afraid of his son Prahlāda Mahārāja and arrested him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 7.5
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. dik-gajaiḥby big elephants trained to smash anything under their feet
  2. danda-śūka-indraiḥby the biting of the King’s poisonous snakes
  3. abhicāraby destructive spells
  4. avapātanaiḥby causing to fall from the top of a mountain
  5. māyābhiḥby conjuring tricks
  6. sannirodhaiḥby imprisonment
  7. caas well as
  8. gara-dānaiḥby administering poison
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 7.5

    In this verse: “fearful”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does Hiraṇyakaśipu’s growing anxiety show me about persisting in cruelty?

Practice

Reflect for one minute on the contrast between Prahlāda’s sinlessness and Hiraṇyakaśipu’s harmful actions.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayCruelty Cannot Harm Sinless PrahlādaThis 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 7.5.43-44? Get an answer from the verses themselves.