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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 9 · Liberation · 24 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 9 · Chapter 1: King Sudyumna Becomes a Woman

9.1.31 9.1.33

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 9.1.32

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 9.1.29inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तदिदं भगवानाह प्रियाया: प्रियकाम्यया ।

स्थानं य: प्रविशेदेतत् स वै योषिद् भवेदिति ॥ ३२ ॥

tad idaṁ bhagavān āha

priyāyāḥ priya-kāmyayā

sthānaṁ yaḥ praviśed etat

sa vai yoṣid bhaved iti

Translation

Thereupon, just to please his wife, Lord Śiva said, “Any male entering this place shall immediately become a female!”

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.

Lord Śiva Declares the Forest’s Condition

1
Lord Śiva spoke in order to please his wife.
2
He declared that any male entering that place would become a female.
3
According to his declaration, the transformation would happen immediately upon entering.

How it feels

Change → Acceptance. The instability of worldly identities is a recurring premise.

Chapters 1–3 of Canto 9: Dynastic origins and domestic transformations. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Chapter 1: King Sudyumna Becomes a Woman

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

By the grace of Lord Śiva, Sudyumna received the benediction that he would live one month as a woman and one month as a man. Thus he regained his kingdom and had three sons, named Utkala, Gaya and Vimala, who were all very religious.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 9.1