Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 53

Parīkṣit’s Inquiry into Vṛtrāsura’s Bhakti and the Beginning of Citraketu’s Trial

Devanagari script

स्तनद्वयं कुङ्कुमपङ्कमण्डितं निषिञ्चती साञ्जनबाष्पबिन्दुभि: । विकीर्य केशान् विगलत्स्रज: सुतं शुशोच चित्रं कुररीव सुस्वरम् ॥ ५३ ॥

Transliteration

stana-dvayaṁ kuṅkuma-paṅka-maṇḍitaṁ niṣiñcatī sāñjana-bāṣpa-bindubhiḥ vikīrya keśān vigalat-srajaḥ sutaṁ śuśoca citraṁ kurarīva susvaram

Translation

Гирлянда цветов, украшавшая голову царицы, упала, и волосы ее рассыпались. Падающие слезы смыли сурьму с ее глаз и увлажнили грудь, покрытую порошком кункумы. Когда она оплакивала потерю сына, ее громкий плач напоминал сладкий голос птицы курари.

Synonyms

• stana-dvayam: the two breasts
• stana-dvayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stana (प्रातिपदिक) + dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; dvigu: ‘pair of breasts’

• kuṅkuma-paṅka-maṇḍitam: adorned with saffron paste
• kuṅkuma-paṅka-maṇḍitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kuṅkuma (प्रातिपदिक) + paṅka (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍita (कृदन्त) < maṇḍ (धातु)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifying stana-dvayam: ‘adorned with saffron-mud/paste’

• niṣiñcatī: sprinkling
• niṣiñcatī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-sic (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; ‘sprinkling’

• sa-añjana-bāṣpa-bindubhiḥ: with collyrium-mixed tear-drops
• sa-añjana-bāṣpa-bindubhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (सह) + añjana (प्रातिपदिक) + bāṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + bindu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; ‘with tear-drops mixed with collyrium’

• vikīrya: having scattered
• vikīrya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-kṝ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), having scattered

• keśān: hair (locks)
• keśān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• vigalat-srajaḥ: whose garland was slipping off
• vigalat-srajaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-galat (कृदन्त) < gal (धातु) + sraj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; bahuvrīhi: ‘she whose garland is slipping/falling’

• sutam: son
• sutam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• śuśoca: grieved, lamented
• śuśoca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śuc (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; parasmaipada

• citram: strangely / wondrously
• citram: Viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (क्रियाविशेषण-रूपे द्वितीया)

• kurarī-iva: like a kurarī-bird
• kurarī-iva: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kurarī (प्रातिपदिक) + iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Simile particle iva (उपमा-अव्यय) with noun; kurarī feminine nominative singular used for comparison

• su-svaram: in a very sweet (piercing) tone
• su-svaram: Viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + svara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) avyayībhāva: ‘with a very sweet voice’

Characters & Entities

• Kṛtadyuti (the Queen of Citraketu)
• Citraketu
• the prince (Citraketu’s son)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about grief after losing a child?

This verse depicts the queen’s intense, bodily visible sorrow—showing how material attachment naturally produces overwhelming grief when separation comes.

Why is the queen compared to a kurarī bird in Bhagavatam 6.14?

The kurarī is known for a piercing, plaintive cry; the comparison highlights the queen’s sweet yet heartbreaking lamentation as she mourns her son.

Practical application: how does this shloka help in modern life when facing loss?

It reminds a reader that grief is a natural outcome of deep attachment; Bhagavatam uses such scenes to turn the mind toward detachment and refuge in bhakti as the lasting support.