Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 7

Yayāti’s Renunciation: The Allegory of the He-Goat and She-Goat

Devanagari script

तमेव प्रेष्ठतमया रममाणमजान्यया । विलोक्य कूपसंविग्ना नामृष्यद् बस्तकर्म तत् ॥ ७ ॥

Transliteration

tam eva preṣṭhatamayā ramamāṇam ajānyayā vilokya kūpa-saṁvignā nāmṛṣyad basta-karma tat

Translation

Als die Ziege, die in den Brunnen gefallen war, ihren geliebten Bock bei sexuellen Handlungen mit einer anderen sah, konnte sie dies nicht ertragen.

Synonyms

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle)

• preṣṭhatamayā: by the most beloved (she-goat)
• preṣṭhatamayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: preṣṭhatama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana; superlative ‘by the most beloved (one)’

• ramamāṇam: sporting/enjoying
• ramamāṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ram (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Śatṛ/Present participle Ātmanepada (शतृ), Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• ajānyayā: by a she-goat
• ajānyayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajānyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana; ‘by a she-goat’

• vilokya: having seen
• vilokya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-lok (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्), ‘having seen’

• kūpa-saṁvignā: distressed about the well
• kūpa-saṁvignā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kūpa + saṁvigna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; samāsa: kūpena saṁvignā (‘distressed because of the well’)

• na: not
• na: Vākyaniṣedha (वाक्यनिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Pratiṣedha-nipāta (negation)

• amṛṣyat: tolerated/forgave
• amṛṣyat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ lakāra (Imperfect/लङ्), Prathama puruṣa, Ekavacana; Parasmaipada; with na → ‘did not tolerate’

• basta-karma: the buck’s deed
• basta-karma: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: basta + karma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā/Dvitīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana (context: object ‘that act’); samāsa: bastasya karma (‘act of the he-goat’)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana

Characters & Entities

• Yayāti (implied in the allegory)
• Goat (basta)
• She-goat (ajā)

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam 9.19.7 teach about attachment and jealousy?

This verse depicts how attachment to enjoyment leads to distress and intolerance—an emotional agitation that arises when the mind is bound to possessiveness rather than dharma and self-control.

Who is speaking Srimad Bhagavatam 9.19.7 and in what context?

Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this verse to Mahārāja Parīkṣit while narrating the Yayāti episode, using vivid imagery (goat and she-goat) to illustrate the dynamics and consequences of uncontrolled desire.

How can I apply the message of this shloka in modern life?

Reduce possessiveness and impulse-driven pleasure-seeking; practice restraint and devotion-centered living so relationships are guided by responsibility, respect, and inner steadiness rather than reactive jealousy.