FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.22.21-24

विचित्रवीर्यश्चावरजो नाम्ना चित्राङ्गदो हत: । यस्यां पराशरात् साक्षादवतीर्णो हरे: कला ॥ २१ ॥ वेदगुप्तो मुनि: कृष्णो यतोऽहमिदमध्यगाम् । हित्वा स्वशिष्यान् पैलादीन्भगवान् बादरायण: ॥ २२ ॥ मह्यं पुत्राय शान्ताय परं गुह्यमिदं जगौ । विचित्रवीर्योऽथोवाह काशीराजसुते बलात् ॥ २३ ॥ स्वयंवरादुपानीते अम्बिकाम्बालिके उभे । तयोरासक्तहृदयो गृहीतो यक्ष्मणा मृत: ॥ २४ ॥
vicitravīryaś cāvarajo
[vichitraveeryash chaavarajo]
nāmnā citrāṅgado hataḥ
[naamnaa chitraangado hatah]
yasyāṁ parāśarāt sākṣād
[yasyaam paraasharaat saakshaad]
avatīrṇo hareḥ kalā
[avateerno hareh kalaa]
veda-gupto muniḥ kṛṣṇo
[veda-gupto munih krishno]
yato ’ham idam adhyagām
[yato ’ham idam adhyagaam]
hitvā sva-śiṣyān pailādīn
[hitvaa sva-shishyaan pailaadeen]
bhagavān bādarāyaṇaḥ
[bhagavaan baadaraayanah]
mahyaṁ putrāya śāntāya
[mahyam putraaya shaantaaya]
paraṁ guhyam idaṁ jagau
[param guhyam idam jagau]
vicitravīryo ’thovāha
[vichitraveeryo ’thovaaha]
kāśīrāja-sute balāt
[kaasheeraaja-sute balaat]
svayaṁvarād upānīte
[svayamvaraad upaaneete]
ambikāmbālike ubhe
[ambikaambaalike ubhe]
tayor āsakta-hṛdayo
[tayor aasakta-hridayo]
gṛhīto yakṣmaṇā mṛtaḥ
[griheeto yakshmanaa mritah]
vicitravīryaḥ — Vicitravīrya, the son of Śāntanu ca — and avarajaḥ — the younger brother nāmnā — by a Gandharva named Citrāṅgada citrāṅgadaḥ — Citrāṅgada hataḥ — was killed yasyām — in the womb of Satyavatī previous to her marriage to Śāntanu parāśarāt — by the semen of Parāśara Muni sākṣāt — directly avatīrṇaḥ — incarnated hareḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead kalā — expansion veda-guptaḥ — the protector of the Vedas muniḥ — the great sage kṛṣṇaḥ — Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana yataḥ — from whom aham — I (Śukadeva Gosvāmī) idam — this (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam) adhyagām — studied thoroughly hitvā — rejecting sva-śiṣyān — his disciples paila-ādīn — headed by Paila bhagavān — the incarnation of the Lord bādarāyaṇaḥ — Vyāsadeva mahyam — unto me putrāya — a son śāntāya — who was truly controlled from sense gratification param — the supreme guhyam — the most confidential idam — this Vedic literature (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam) jagau — instructed vicitravīryaḥ — Vicitravīrya atha — thereafter uvāha — married kāśīrāja-sute — two daughters of Kāśīrāja balāt — by force svayaṁvarāt — from the arena of the svayaṁvara upānīte — being brought ambikā-ambālike — Ambikā and Ambālikā ubhe — both of them tayoḥ — unto them āsakta — being too attached hṛdayaḥ — his heart gṛhītaḥ — being contaminated yakṣmaṇā — by tuberculosis mṛtaḥ — he died.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
vicitravīryaś cāvarajo
vicitravīryaḥ
Vicitravīrya, the son of Śāntanu
ca
and
avarajaḥ
the younger brother
nāmnā citrāṅgado hataḥ
nāmnā
by a Gandharva named Citrāṅgada
citrāṅgadaḥ
Citrāṅgada
hataḥ
was killed
yasyāṁ parāśarāt sākṣād
yasyām
in the womb of Satyavatī previous to her marriage to Śāntanu
parāśarāt
by the semen of Parāśara Muni
sākṣāt
directly
avatīrṇo hareḥ kalā
avatīrṇaḥ
incarnated
hareḥ
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
kalā
expansion
veda-gupto muniḥ kṛṣṇo
veda-guptaḥ
the protector of the Vedas
muniḥ
the great sage
kṛṣṇaḥ
Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana
yato ’ham idam adhyagām
yataḥ
from whom
hitvā sva-śiṣyān pailādīn
bhagavān bādarāyaṇaḥ
aham
I (Śukadeva Gosvāmī)
mahyaṁ putrāya śāntāya
paraṁ guhyam idaṁ jagau
idam
this (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam)
vicitravīryo ’thovāha
kāśīrāja-sute balāt
svayaṁvarād upānīte
adhyagām
studied thoroughly
ambikāmbālike ubhe
tayor āsakta-hṛdayo
gṛhīto yakṣmaṇā mṛtaḥ
hitvā
rejecting
sva-śiṣyān
his disciples
paila-ādīn
headed by Paila
bhagavān
the incarnation of the Lord
bādarāyaṇaḥ
Vyāsadeva
mahyam
unto me
putrāya
a son
śāntāya
who was truly controlled from sense gratification
param
the supreme
guhyam
the most confidential
idam
this Vedic literature (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam)
jagau
instructed
vicitravīryaḥ
Vicitravīrya
atha
thereafter
uvāha
married
kāśīrāja-sute
two daughters of Kāśīrāja
balāt
by force
svayaṁvarāt
from the arena of the svayaṁvara
upānīte
being brought
ambikā-ambālike
Ambikā and Ambālikā
ubhe
both of them
tayoḥ
unto them
āsakta
being too attached
hṛdayaḥ
his heart
gṛhītaḥ
being contaminated
yakṣmaṇā
by tuberculosis
mṛtaḥ
he died.
Citrāṅgada, of whom Vicitravīrya was the younger brother, was killed by a Gandharva who was also named Citrāṅgada. Satyavatī, before her marriage to Śāntanu, gave birth to the master authority of the Vedas, Vyāsadeva, known as Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, who was begotten by Parāśara Muni. From Vyāsadeva, I [Śukadeva Gosvāmī] was born, and from him I studied this great work of literature, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The incarnation of Godhead Vedavyāsa, rejecting his disciples, headed by Paila, instructed Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to me because I was free from all material desires. After Ambikā and Ambālikā, the two daughters of Kāśīrāja, were taken away by force, Vicitravīrya married them, but because he was too attached to these two wives, he had a heart attack and died of tuberculosis.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Citrāṅgada, of whom Vicitravīrya was the younger brother, was killed by a Gandharva who was also named Citrāṅgada. Satyavatī, before her marriage to Śāntanu, gave birth to the master authority of the Vedas, Vyāsadeva, known as Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, who was begotten by Parāśara Muni. From Vyāsadeva, I, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, was born, and from him I studied, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The incarnation of Godhead Vedavyāsa, ignoring his disciples headed by Paila, instructed Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to me because I was free from all material desires. After Ambikā and Ambālikā, the two daughters of Kāśīrāja, were taken away by force, Vicitravīrya married them, but because he was too attached to these two wives, he died of tuberculosis. Citrāṅgada was killed by a Gandharva of the same name in battle. Before her marriage to Śāntanu, Satyavatī gave birth to Vyāsa, protector of the Vedas, who was a portion of the Lord. From him I learned Bhāgavatam (idam). Bhīṣma took the two daughters by force at a svayamvara ceremony and gave them to Vicitravīrya.
Citrāṅgada is killed by a Gandharva of the same name; Vyāsa, son of Satyavatī by Parāśara, fathers Śukadeva and teaches him the Bhāgavatam. The transmission of the very text we are reading is traced — we know whom to thank.
Reflection Questions
  • Have I ever sincerely thanked the lineage through which the Bhāgavatam reached me?
  • Whose unbroken transmission should be remembered each time I open this text?
📝 My note

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