Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 72

Kṛṣṇa’s Impending Departure; Uddhava’s Surrender; King Yadu and the Avadhūta’s Twenty-Four Gurus

Beginnings

Devanagari script

तं लब्ध्वा लुब्धक: क्रूर: कपोतं गृहमेधिनम् । कपोतकान् कपोतीं च सिद्धार्थ: प्रययौ गृहम् ॥ ७२ ॥

Transliteration

taṁ labdhvā lubdhakaḥ krūraḥ kapotaṁ gṛha-medhinam kapotakān kapotīṁ ca siddhārthaḥ prayayau gṛham

Translation

นายพรานผู้โหดร้าย เมื่อสมปรารถนาด้วยการจับพ่อนกพิราบ ภรรยา และลูกๆ ทั้งหมดได้แล้ว ก็ออกเดินทางกลับบ้านของตน

Synonyms

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन (sg.)

• labdhvā: having obtained/caught
• labdhvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (लभ्, धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः

• lubdhakaḥ: the hunter
• lubdhakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lubdhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• krūraḥ: cruel
• krūraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: krūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.); विशेषणम्

• kapotam: the pigeon
• kapotam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapota (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन (sg.)

• gṛha-medhinam: the householder
• gṛha-medhinam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक) + medhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन (sg.); तत्पुरुषः (गृहे मेधी = गृहस्थः)

• kapotakān: the young pigeons
• kapotakān: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapotaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), बहुवचन (pl.)

• kapotīm: the female pigeon
• kapotīm: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapotī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन (sg.)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• siddhārthaḥ: having achieved his aim
• siddhārthaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: siddha (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.); बहुव्रीहिः (सिद्धः अर्थः यस्य = whose purpose is fulfilled)

• prayayau: went
• prayayau: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-yā (प्रया, धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perf.), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg.), परस्मैपदम्

• gṛham: home
• gṛham: Gati/Karma (गति/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन (sg.)

Characters & Entities

• lubdhaka (hunter)
• kapota (householder pigeon)
• kapotī (she-pigeon)
• kapotakāḥ (young pigeons)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about attachment to family and home (gṛhamedhī life)?

This verse shows how the materially absorbed “householder pigeon” is captured along with his entire family—illustrating that uncontrolled attachment can lead one into bondage and suffering.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrate the hunter and pigeons story in Canto 11 Chapter 7?

He presents it as a moral lesson within the Avadhūta’s teachings: by observing the pigeons’ fate, one learns the danger of blind attachment and the need for detachment on the spiritual path.

How can I apply this Bhagavatam verse in modern life?

Care for family responsibly, but avoid possessiveness—cultivate spiritual priorities (bhakti, sādhana, and self-control) so that relationships support devotion rather than becoming the cause of bondage.