Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 32

Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Wrath, the Assault on Vedic Culture, and the Boy-Yamarāja’s Teaching on the Soul

Devanagari script

रुदत्य उच्चैर्दयिताङ्‌घ्रिपङ्कजं सिञ्चन्त्य अस्रै: कुचकुङ्कुमारुणै: । विस्रस्तकेशाभरणा: शुचं नृणां सृजन्त्य आक्रन्दनया विलेपिरे ॥ ३२ ॥

Transliteration

rudatya uccair dayitāṅghri-paṅkajaṁ siñcantya asraiḥ kuca-kuṅkumāruṇaiḥ visrasta-keśābharaṇāḥ śucaṁ nṛṇāṁ sṛjantya ākrandanayā vilepire

Translation

Crying aloud, the queens bathed their beloved’s lotus feet with tears, reddened by the kuṅkuma upon their breasts. Their hair came undone, their ornaments slipped away, and their piercing lament stirred compassion in all who heard; clasped in grief, they wept and wailed.

Synonyms

• रुदत्यः: crying (women)
• रुदत्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुद् (धातु, √रुद्) → रुदत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्तः—‘crying’ (fem. pl.)

• उच्चैः: loudly
• उच्चैः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• दयित-अङ्घ्रि-पङ्कजम्: the lotus-feet of the beloved
• दयित-अङ्घ्रि-पङ्कजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दयित (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्घ्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + पङ्कज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अङ्घ्रिपङ्कजम् = foot-lotus), ततः ‘दयित’ षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (of the beloved)

• सिञ्चन्त्यः: sprinkling
• सिञ्चन्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिच् (धातु, √सिच्) → सिञ्चन्ती (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्तः—‘sprinkling’

• अस्रैः: with tears
• अस्रैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• कुच-कुङ्कुम-अरुणैः: reddened by breast-vermilion
• कुच-कुङ्कुम-अरुणैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुच (प्रातिपदिक) + कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक) + अरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कुचकुङ्कुमम्), तेन अरुणैः = ‘reddened by the vermilion on the breasts’

• विस्रस्त-केश-आभरणाः: with loosened hair and ornaments
• विस्रस्त-केश-आभरणाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्रस्त (कृदन्त, √स्रंस्) + केश (प्रातिपदिक) + आभरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः—केश + आभरण (hair and ornaments) with adjective ‘विस्रस्त’ (disheveled/loosened)

• शुचम्: grief
• शुचम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुच्/शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नृणाम्: of the people/men
• नृणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• सृजन्त्यः: causing
• सृजन्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सृज् (धातु, √सृज्) → सृजन्ती (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्तः—‘producing/causing’

• आक्रन्दनया: by wailing
• आक्रन्दनया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आक्रन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• विलेपिरे: they smeared/daubed (themselves)
• विलेपिरे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु, √लिप्) उपसर्गः वि-; लिट् (परोक्शभूत)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्शभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyakaśipu
• Diti

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about grief and attachment in Canto 7?

This verse shows how intense attachment leads to overwhelming lamentation—tears, disarray, and public sorrow—highlighting the binding nature of bodily and familial identification.

Why were the women crying after Hiraṇyakaśipu’s death in the Bhagavatam?

Because he was their beloved family leader; seeing his fall, they wept loudly and mourned, revealing the human (and asuric) response of attachment when worldly shelter collapses.

Practical application: how to face loss without being shattered by sorrow?

Recognize the temporary nature of bodily relationships and cultivate devotion to the Lord as the lasting shelter; this gradually steadies the heart during inevitable separation.