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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 8: Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva Slays the King of the Demons
7.8.137.8.15

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 7.8.14

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Hiraṇyakaśipusince 7.8.11inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira

एवं दुरुक्तैर्मुहुरर्दयन् रुषा

सुतं महाभागवतं महासुर: ।

खड्‌गं प्रगृह्योत्पतितो वरासनात्

स्तम्भं तताडातिबल: स्वमुष्टिना ॥ १४ ॥

evaṁ duruktair muhur ardayan ruṣā

sutaṁ mahā-bhāgavataṁ mahāsuraḥ

khaḍgaṁ pragṛhyotpatito varāsanāt

stambhaṁ tatāḍātibalaḥ sva-muṣṭinā

Translation

Being obsessed with anger, Hiraṇyakaśipu, who was very great in bodily strength, thus chastised his exalted devotee-son Prahlāda with harsh words. Cursing him again and again, Hiraṇyakaśipu took up his sword, got up from his royal throne, and with great anger struck his fist against the column.

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.

Anger Turns Strength Toward Cruelty

  1. 1

    Hiraṇyakaśipu possessed great bodily strength, yet he was obsessed with anger.

  2. 2

    He repeatedly cursed and harshly chastised Prahlāda, his own son and an exalted devotee.

  3. 3

    Taking up his sword, Hiraṇyakaśipu rose from his royal throne and struck the column with his fist. His anger expressed itself in both words and actions.

How it feels

Terror and divine fury → Protection and compassion. The crisis resolves through relationship rather than domination.

Chapters 8–10 of Canto 7: Nṛsiṁhadeva appears; Prahlāda pacifies Him. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 8: Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva Slays the King of the Demons

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

When Hiraṇyakaśipu heard this philosophy from his young son, he derided the boy’s statement as just the talk of a child and forcefully struck the pillar with his fist. As soon as Hiraṇyakaśipu struck the column, there issued forth a tumultuous sound.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 7.8
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. evamthus
  2. duruktaiḥby harsh words
  3. muhuḥconstantly
  4. ardayanchastising
  5. ruṣāwith unnecessary anger
  6. sutamhis son
  7. mahā-bhāgavatamwho was a most exalted devotee
  8. mahā-asuraḥHiraṇyakaśipu, the great demon
3

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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 7.8

    In this verse: “devotee-son”, “devotee”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

When I become angry, how does it affect my words toward others?

Practice

If anger arises today, pause before speaking and choose not to use harsh words.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

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 7.8's connections

Live this todayAnger Turns Strength Toward CrueltyThis 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 7.8.14? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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