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Canto 7 · The Science of God · 15 chapters

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How to study this verse, in six steps

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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

7.5.47 7.5.49

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 7.5.48

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

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

इति तच्चिन्तया किञ्चिन्‍म्‍लानश्रियमधोमुखम् ।

षण्डामर्कावौशनसौ विविक्त इति होचतु: ॥ ४८ ॥

iti tac-cintayā kiñcin

mlāna-śriyam adho-mukham

śaṇḍāmarkāv auśanasau

vivikta iti hocatuḥ

Translation

Thinking in this way, the King of the Daityas, morose and bereft of bodily luster, remained silent with his face downward. Then Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, the two sons of Śukrācārya, spoke to him in secret.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The King Becomes Morose and Silent

1
Thinking in this way, the King of the Daityas became morose and lost his bodily luster.
2
He remained silent with his face turned downward.
3
Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, the two sons of Śukrācārya, then spoke to him in secret.

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

Chapter 5: Prahlāda Mahārāja, the Saintly Son of Hiraṇyakaśipu

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Thus the King of the demons, Hiraṇyakaśipu, being extremely angry, chastised the teachers, Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, for having wrongly trained Prahlāda Mahārāja. The so-called teachers informed the King that Prahlāda Mahārāja was automatically a devotee and did not listen to their instructions.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 7.5

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

itithus
tat-cintayāwith full anxiety because of Prahlāda Mahārāja’s position
kiñcitsomewhat
mlānalost
śriyambodily luster
adhaḥ-mukhamhis face downward
śaṇḍa-amarkauṢaṇḍa and Amarka
auśanasausons of Śukrācārya

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
Moha · Material attachment
The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 7.5
In this verse: “luster”
Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership
Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 7.5
In this verse: “king”

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How do troubling thoughts affect my expression, energy, and willingness to speak?

Practice

Pause once today to notice how your thoughts are affecting your face and posture.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe King Becomes Morose and SilentThis 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.

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