FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.8.12

बालोऽसि बत नात्मानमन्यस्त्रीगर्भसम्भृतम् । नूनं वेद भवान् यस्य दुर्लभेऽर्थे मनोरथ: ॥ १२ ॥
bālo ’si bata nātmānam
[baalo ’si bata naatmaanam]
anya-strī-garbha-sambhṛtam
[anya-stree-garbha-sambhritam]
nūnaṁ veda bhavān yasya
[noonam veda bhavaan yasya]
durlabhe ’rthe manorathaḥ
[durlabhe ’rthe manorathah]
Word-for-word
bālaḥ — child asi — you are bata — however na — not ātmānam — my own anya — other strī — woman garbha — womb sambhṛtam — born by nūnam — however veda — just try to know bhavān — yourself yasya — of which durlabhe — unapproachable arthe — matter manaḥ-rathaḥ — desirous.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
bālo ’si bata nātmānam
bālaḥ
child
anya-strī-garbha-sambhṛtam
asi
you are
bata
however
nūnaṁ veda bhavān yasya
na
not
durlabhe ’rthe manorathaḥ
ātmānam
my own
anya
other
strī
woman
garbha
womb
sambhṛtam
born by
nūnam
however
veda
just try to know
bhavān
yourself
yasya
of which
durlabhe
unapproachable
arthe
matter
manaḥ-rathaḥ
desirous.
My dear child, you are unaware that you were born not of my womb but of another woman. Therefore you should know that your attempt is doomed to failure. You are trying to fulfill a desire which is impossible to fulfill.
Purport

The small child, Dhruva Mahārāja, was naturally affectionate toward his father, and he did not know that there was a distinction between his two mothers. This distinction was pointed out by Queen Suruci, who informed him that since he was a child he did not understand the distinction between the two queens. This is another statement of Queen Suruci’s pride.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
You are a child. Therefore you, having a desire for the impossible, do not know that you were born from the womb of another woman. You are a child. Therefore you do not know.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
She tells the child he was born of 'another woman' and his attempt is doomed. The worst rejections come framed as just stating reality; cruelty often hides behind 'I'm only being honest.'
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I disguising contempt as honesty in my speech to someone I dislike?
  • Which 'doomed' label did someone once place on me that I need to take back?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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