1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

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

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 9 · Liberation · 24 chapters

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 9.19.7

Who is speaking and story frame

तमेव प्रेष्ठतमया रममाणमजान्यया ।

विलोक्य कूपसंविग्ना नामृष्यद् बस्तकर्म तत् ॥ ७ ॥

tam eva preṣṭhatamayā

ramamāṇam ajānyayā

vilokya kūpa-saṁvignā

nāmṛṣyad basta-karma tat

Translation

When the she-goat who had fallen into the well saw her beloved goat engaged in sexual affairs with another she-goat, she could not tolerate the goat’s activities.

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.

Unfaithfulness Brings Pain

  1. 1

    The she-goat who had fallen into the well saw her beloved he-goat with another she-goat.

  2. 2

    He was engaged in sexual affairs with the other she-goat.

  3. 3

    The she-goat could not tolerate her beloved’s behavior. His enjoyment brought distress to her.

How it feels

Insatiable desire → Renunciation. Exhausted enjoyment generates insight.

Chapters 18–19 of Canto 9: Yayāti's craving and liberation. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 19: King Yayāti Achieves Liberation

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

One day thereafter, when the she-goat saw the he-goat enjoying sex with another she-goat, she became angry, abandoned the he-goat, and returned to her brāhmaṇa owner, to whom she described her husband’s behavior. The brāhmaṇa became very angry and cursed the he-goat to lose his sexual power.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 9.19
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tamthe he-goat
  2. evaindeed
  3. preṣṭhatamayābeloved
  4. ramamāṇamengaged in sexual activities
  5. ajāthe she-goat
  6. anyayāwith another she-goat
  7. vilokyaby seeing
  8. kūpa-saṁvignāthe she-goat who had fallen into the well
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

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 9.19

    In this verse: “distress”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How might pursuing your own pleasure cause pain to someone close to you?

Practice

Pause before one pleasure-seeking choice today and consider its effect on someone close to you.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayUnfaithfulness Brings PainThis 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 9.19.7? Get an answer from the verses themselves.