Shloka 30

Prahlāda Instructs the Sons of Demons: Begin Bhakti from Childhood; Household Attachment as Bondage; Nārāyaṇa as the All-Pervading Supersoul

Devanagari script

श्रीदैत्यपुत्रा ऊचु: प्रह्राद त्वं वयं चापि नर्तेऽन्यं विद्महे गुरुम् । एताभ्यां गुरुपुत्राभ्यां बालानामपि हीश्वरौ ॥ २९ ॥ बालस्यान्त:पुरस्थस्य महत्सङ्गो दुरन्वय: । छिन्धि न: संशयं सौम्य स्याच्चेद्विस्रम्भकारणम् ॥ ३० ॥

Transliteration

śrī-daitya-putrā ūcuḥ prahrāda tvaṁ vayaṁ cāpi narte ’nyaṁ vidmahe gurum etābhyāṁ guru-putrābhyāṁ bālānām api hīśvarau

Translation

অন্তঃপুৰত থকা শিশুৰ বাবে মহাপুৰুষৰ সঙ্গ দুষ্প্ৰাপ্য। হে সৌম্য বন্ধু, আমাৰ সংশয় কাট—তুমি কেনেকৈ নাৰদ মুনিৰ উপদেশ শুনিবলৈ পালা?

Synonyms

• bālasya: of the boy
• bālasya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• antaḥpura-sthasya: who is staying in the inner palace
• antaḥpura-sthasya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: antaḥpura + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; locative-tatpurusha: अन्तःपुरे स्थितः (one situated in the inner apartments)

• mahat-saṅgaḥ: association with the great
• mahat-saṅgaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahat + saṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; कर्मधारयः (महान् सङ्गः)

• dur-anvayaḥ: hard to obtain/rare
• dur-anvayaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur + anvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; उपसर्गपूर्वक विशेषण (दुर्- = difficult)

• chindhi: cut off/remove
• chindhi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: chid (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (Loṭ/लोट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular; parasmaipada

• naḥ: for us/our
• naḥ: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: Pronoun; Genitive (6th/षष्ठी) or Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Plural; here dative sense ‘for us’

• saṁśayam: doubt
• saṁśayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṁśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• saumya: O gentle one
• saumya: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saumya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• syāt: may be/would be
• syāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-liṅ/विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

• cet: if
• cet: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional particle (यदि-अर्थक निपात)

• visrambha-kāraṇam: a cause of trust/confidence
• visrambha-kāraṇam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: visrambha + kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) or Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विस्रम्भस्य कारणम्)

Purport

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Seventh Canto, Sixth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Prahlāda Instructs His Demoniac Schoolmates.”

Characters & Entities

• Prahlada
• Shanda
• Amarka

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about who is a real guru?

This verse shows the boys recognize formal instructors (the guru’s sons), yet the narrative sets up that true guidance comes from devotion and realized instruction—embodied by Prahlada’s bhakti-centered teachings.

Why did Prahlada’s classmates speak about Shanda and Amarka as authorities?

They were students under the school run by Shanda and Amarka (sons of their teacher), so they acknowledge the institutional authority governing their education while turning to Prahlada for clarity.

Practical application: what can students learn from this verse today?

Respect formal teachers, but seek genuine spiritual understanding and character-building wisdom—learning that real guidance is measured by truth and transformation, not only by position.