FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.8.14

मैत्रेय उवाच मातु: सपत्‍न्या: स दुरुक्तिविद्ध: श्वसन् रुषा दण्डहतो यथाहि: । हित्वा मिषन्तं पितरं सन्नवाचं जगाम मातु: प्ररुदन् सकाशम् ॥ १४ ॥
maitreya uvāca
[maitreya uvaacha]
mātuḥ sapatnyāḥ sa durukti-viddhaḥ
[maatuh sapatnyaah sa durukti-viddhah]
śvasan ruṣā daṇḍa-hato yathāhiḥ
[shvasan rushaa danda-hato yathaahih]
hitvā miṣantaṁ pitaraṁ sanna-vācaṁ
[hitvaa mishantam pitaram sanna-vaacham]
jagāma mātuḥ prarudan sakāśam
[jagaama maatuh prarudan sakaasham]
Word-for-word
maitreyaḥ uvāca — the great sage Maitreya said mātuḥ — of his mother sa-patnyāḥ — of the co-wife saḥ — he durukti — harsh words viddhaḥ — being pierced by śvasan — breathing very heavily ruṣā — out of anger daṇḍa-hataḥ — struck by a stick yathā — as much as ahiḥ — a snake hitvā — giving up miṣantam — simply looking over pitaram — his father sanna-vācam — silently jagāma — went mātuḥ — to his mother prarudan — weeping sakāśam — near.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
maitreya uvāca
maitreyaḥ uvāca
the great sage Maitreya said
mātuḥ sapatnyāḥ sa durukti-viddhaḥ
mātuḥ
of his mother
sa-patnyāḥ
of the co-wife
saḥ
he
durukti
harsh words
viddhaḥ
being pierced by
śvasan ruṣā daṇḍa-hato yathāhiḥ
śvasan
breathing very heavily
ruṣā
out of anger
daṇḍa-hataḥ
struck by a stick
yathā
as much as
ahiḥ
a snake
hitvā miṣantaṁ pitaraṁ sanna-vācaṁ
hitvā
giving up
miṣantam
simply looking over
pitaram
his father
sanna-vācam
silently
jagāma mātuḥ prarudan sakāśam
jagāma
went
mātuḥ
to his mother
prarudan
weeping
sakāśam
near.
The sage Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, as a snake, when struck by a stick, breathes very heavily, Dhruva Mahārāja, having been struck by the strong words of his stepmother, began to breathe very heavily because of great anger. When he saw that his father was silent and did not protest, he immediately left the palace and went to his mother.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Maitreya said: Pierced by the harsh words of his mother’s co-wife, breathing heavily in anger, like a snake struck by a stick, he left his silent father who was watching, and went to his mother while weeping. Miṣantam means watching. Sanna-vācam means “weak speech” because he was under the control of the co-wife.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Dhruva, struck by Suruci's words, breathes hard like a serpent struck by a stick. His father's silence is itself a second wound; he leaves the palace. When the rightful protector says nothing, the child correctly interprets that as confirmation of the cruelty.
Reflection Questions
  • Where did the silence of someone who should have spoken up for me hurt more than the original insult?
  • Whom am I currently letting be wounded by my silence when I should be defending them?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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