Srimad-

Bhagavatam
Rephrased
for
young
readers

Canto 1 Chapter 1
“Questions by the Sages”
from
L'ecole de La Maison de Krishna
 Chapter 1
Sloka 1
Oh my Lord, Sri Krishna, son of Vasudeva, Oh, the personality of Godhead who enters all there is, I
offer my obeisances to you. The highest truth and the reason behind all creation, the one who (1)
maintains and destroys the (2) manifested Universe. He knows all (2b) manifestations from near and
far, and He is full by himself because there is no other reason beyond him. He is the one who passed
on the Vedic knowledge into the heart of Lord Brahma, the first living being. By whom even the
great sages and demigods fall into illusion, like how someone sees oasis in the desert or land when
lost in the middle of the ocean. It is because of Him the material universes appear for the moment
by the reactions of the three modes of nature, look real though they are not. Therefore, I meditate
upon Sri Krishna who lives forever in the (3) transcendental home, which is forever free from the
illusions of the (4) material energy. I meditate upon him, for He is the (5) absolute Truth.

Sloka 2
Rejecting all religious activities that are driven by (6) personal motivation,
this book Bhagavata Purana talks about the highest truth,
which can be understood by devotees who are pure in the heart.
The highest truth is reality that is separate from illusion that is good for all.
Such truth takes away life's (7) miseries. This beautiful Bhagavatam, put together by the great sage
Vyasadeva is enough alone to understand God. There is no need for other scriptures.
When someone hears the Bhagavatam fully focused with pure heart,
by this knowledge Lord becomes compact in one's heart.

Sloka 3
Oh, learned and thoughtful people,
Taste Srimad-Bhagavatam,
the ripe fruit of the desire tree of Vedic books.
Flowing out from the lips of Sri Sukadeva Gosvami.
Therefore this fruit has become even more flavorful,
though this (8) nectarean juice was already wonderful for everyone,
even the great (liberated) souls.

Sloka 4
Once upon a time, in a holy place in the forest of Naimisaranya,
great sages headed by sage Sanuka assembled to perform a great thousand-year sacrifice for the
satisfaction of the Lord and his devotees.

Sloka 5
One day, after finishing their morning duties by burning sacrificial fire and offering the (9) seat of
honour to Srila Suta Gosvami, the great sages made (10) inquiries, with great respect, about the
following matters.

Sloka 6
The sages said: Great Suta Gosvami, you are completely free from badness.
You know all the scriptures so well and you are famous for your (11) religious life,
you also know the (12) Puranas and (13) histories well.
For you have studied under proper guidance and explained them yourself too.

Sloka 7
As you are the eldest learned Vedantist, O Suta Gosvami, you are (14) familiar with the knowledge
of Vyasadeva, who is the incarnation of Godhead, and you also know other sages who are fully in
knowledge with all things physical and mystical.

Sloka 8
All because you are ready to hear with (15) humility,
your spiritual masters have given you all the greatest blessing given to a gentle disciple.
So there, you can tell us all that you have scientifically learned from them.

Sloka 9
Please, being blessed for many years, explain to us,
in a way easily understood, what you deem to be the absolute and (16) ultimate
good for the (17) people in general.

Sloka 10
Oh, learned one, in this iron age of Kali, men have short lives. They are (18) quarrelsome, lazy, (19)
misguided, unlucky and, above all, always (20) disturbed.

Sloka 11
There are many kinds of scriptures, and in all of them there are many (21) prescribed duties that can
be understood only after many years of study in (22) various sections of the scriptures. Oh sage,
please select the (23) essence of all these scriptures and explain it for the good of all living beings,
that by hearing them their hearts may be (24) satisfied.

Sloka 12
All blessing upon you, Suta Gosvami. You know why the Personality of Godhead appeared in the
womb of Devaki as the son of Vasudeva.

Sloka 13
Oh, Suta Gosvami, we are (25) eager to learn about the Personality of Godhead and His incarnations.
Please explain to us those teachings (26) imparted by previous acaryas (masters). The kind of
teachings that (27) uplift both the speaker and the listener.

Sloka 14
Living beings who are (28) entangled in the (29) perplexed trap of birth and death can be freed (30)
immediately by even (31) unconsciously chanting the holy name of Krishna, which is (32) feared by
(32b) fear itself.

Sloka 15
Oh, Suta, those great sages who have completely found a resting place at the lotus feet of the Lord
can at once (33) sanctify those who come in contact with them, whereas waters of the Ganges can
sanctify only after sometime.

Sloka 16
Who doesn't want to be saved by the miseries of this age of (18b) quarrel, who doesn't want to hear
the (34) virtuous glories of the Lord?

Sloka 17
His transcendental acts are (35) magnificient and full of glory, and great learned sage like Narada
sings about them. So, please speak to us, we are eager to hear about the adventures the Lord
performed in his various incarnations.
 Sloka 18
Oh wise Suta Gosvami, please (36) narrate to us the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme
Godhead's (37) numerous incarnations. Such (38) favorable adventures and pastimes of the supreme
controller are carried out by his inner powers.

Sloka 19
We never (39) tire of hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Personality of Godhead who is
glorified by loving songs and prayers. Those who have (40) developed a taste for transcendental
relationships with Him (41) relish hearing of his pastimes at every moment.

Sloka 20
Sri Krishna, the Personality of Godhead along with his brother Balarama,
played like a human being, so (42) masked, he performed many superhuman acts.

Sloka 21
Knowing well that the age of Kali has already begun, we gathered here in this holy place to perform
(43) sacrifice of hearing the transcendental message of Godhead (44) at great length.

Sloka 22
We think that we have met your good self by the will of God's driving energy, just so that we may
accept you as the captain of the ship for those who (45) desire to cross the difficult ocean of Kali,
which (46) deteriorates all the good qualities of a human being.

Sloka 23
Since Sri Krishna, the Absolute Truth, the master of all mystic powers, has (47) departed for his own
(48) abode, please tell us where Dharma (religious principles) has now gone to (49) find shelter.

* Thus end of rephrases of the First Canto, First Chapter of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Questions by the Sages”
* Rich Language List L'ecole de La Maison de Krishna
No. Word Definition Synonyms Antonyms
1 maintain to continue; keep in existence. keep, preserve, discontinue, neglect,
prolong, retain, interrupt
uphold
2/2b manifest/manifestat to display; demonstrate. appear, display, disappear, hide, mask,
ion exhibit, show

3 transcendental beyond the limits of ordinary mystic, mystical, material, physical,

experience, thought, or belief; psychic, supernatural worldly, earthly
supernatural, visionary, or mystical.
4 material of or relating to matter; physical. earthly, physical, spiritual,
worldly transcendental
5 absolute precise; exact, without limits or complete, entire, total, partial, dependent,
restrictions, without anything added; utter, infinite, limited, alloyed
unlimited, pure, sheer
pure, sure; certain.
6 Personal Looking for a way to gain or take personal interest/gain, selfless, considerate,
Motivation advantage of the situation for oneself self-interest, private compassionate
interest
7 misery a condition in which one is very anguish, woe, bliss, ecstasy, joy
unhappy or suffers very much. wretchedness

8 nectar(ean) the sweet liquid a plant makes that

attracts insects and birds.
9 the seat of honour A seat or place for someone very special Place of honour, The seat of shame/
like special guests, great sages, kings, honored position embarrassment
demigods or God
10 inquiry a process of looking for truth or correct exploration,
information, a question or request for investigation, query,
question
information.
11 religious having to do with religion, showing or Spiritual, holy, sacred, civil, casual, secular,
having religious beliefs devout, pious godless, atheistic

12 purana a vast genre of Indian literature about a

wide range of topics, particularly about
legends and other traditional lore.
several of these texts are named after
major Hindu deities such as Vishnu,
Shiva, Brahma and Shakti.
13 history everything that has happened in the past
to people or things, or a telling of these
events.
14 familiar having some knowledge of. knowledgeable, alien, exotic, foreign,
aware, conscious new, strange,
unfamiliar
15 humility the quality or state of being humble; modesty, humbleness arrogance, conceit,
modesty about one's status or egoism, egotism,
pride
accomplishments.
16 ultimate the absolute best; supreme, greatest; utmost, greatest, minimum, least,
maximum, fundamental; basic, last or maximal, maximum, bottom, lost, at least,
peak, supreme, top, poor (in quality)
farthest in a progression; final. concluding, final,
17 people in general People not of a high/learned position but everyday people, privileged, nobility,
from an average background. commoner, average elite, learned
 people, mob, crowd,
general public
18/18 Quarrelsome/quarre tending to quarrel easily or frequently; hostile, peevish, good-natured,
b l bad-tempered; argumentative. contentious, peaceful, cooperative,
disputatious, friendly, patient
19 misguided led into making mistakes or doing the Misled, deceived, Well
wrong thing. mistaken informed/instructed/di
rected/led
20 disturb to upset or put in disorder, to make bother, trouble, put in order, sort,
nervous or uneasy; to trouble. interrupt, help,
inconvenience, worry
21 prescribed duties something that a person should do
because it is right or fair according to
one's position
22 various of different kinds; assorted, diverse uniform, same, similar

23 essence that which makes something what it is; character, core, soul,
central nature. substance

24 satisfy to give what is wanted or needed, to content, fulfill, please, disappoint, frustrate
drive away feelings of doubt; convince. assure, reassure

25 eager wanting very much. anxious, avid, reluctant, uninterested

thirsty,craving,
impatient
26 impart to give all or a part of; bestow or give, grant, borrow, retrieve, take
transmit, to make known; relate or communicate, inform, back
reveal, tell
disclose.
27 uplift to improve the spiritual, moral, or social lift, enlighten, degrade, put down,
condition or mood of, the act or process illuminate, elevate disappoint
of raising or lifting up, or the condition
that results from this.
28 entangle to cause to be snarled or tangled, to trap, tie up, tangle, disentangle, untangle
cause to get involved in a difficult knot, mat
situation.

29 perplex to puzzle, confuse, or cause uncertainty bewilder, confuse, clear, enlighten,

in the mind of (a person/ a subject/ a puzzle, complicate, explicate, disentangle
muddle
situation).
30 immediate right away; at once. instantly, on the late, slow, mediate
double, on the spot,
right away, right off
the bat, soon
31 unconscious not conscious or aware, done without unaware, not aware, conscious,
being aware or in control of what one is thinking/looking, switched on
thoughtless
doing.
32/32 feared by/fear a strong feeling one gets when one apprehension, dread, fearlessness, brave,
b expects danger or pain, to be fright, terror, dread courageous
scared/frightened of, to be worried or in
doubt about.
33 sanctify to make sacred or holy; consecrate. to anoint, bless defile, pollute, corrupt
make free of sin; purify.
34 virtuous characterized by moral excellence or chaste, ethical, good, virtueless, bad, cheap,
righteousness. just, moral, righteous, evil, hideous,
upright shameful, sinful,
wretched, rascal
 35 magnificent very grand in size or splendid in beauty. splendid, brilliant, modest
golden, gorgeous,
impressive, lavish,
majestic, noble
36 narrate to tell the tale or give an account of; tell, describe, relate,
relate, to make comments or tell things report, detail, portray,
recite
about (a show or other thing that an
audience watches) as it goes along.
37 numerous being in great number; many. made up many, considerable, Few, small
of a great number. great, large

38 favorable showing the promise of something good, advantageous, adverse, hostile, ill
giving a benefit or advantage; helpful, beneficial, admirable,
excellent, likable,
pleasing; causing approval. helpful, profitable,
encouraging,
promising
39 tire to lose interest or become bored, to use bore, exasperate, invigorate, recreate,
up the strength and energy of; make exhaust, wear, weary, refresh, relax, relieve,
exhaust, fatigue, repose, rest, restore
tired, to become weak or sleepy, waste
40 developed to cause to gain strength; cause to grow, further, advance, curtail, cut down,
to bring out the potential of; advance to enhance, strengthen, epitomize, reduce,
grow, mature, ripen
a more complete or more effective
condition.
41 relish to take great pleasure in; enjoy, adore, love, rejoice in, dislike, detest,
appreciate, cherish, disrelish, distaste
delight in,
42 masked to cover up or hide, to cover with a conceal, disguise, show, tell, uncover,
mask. screen, disguise unmask, reveal, admit,
confess, disclose,
expose, manifest
43 sacrifice the gift of something to a god as an act love, offering reservation, retention,
of worship, the act of giving up salvation
something of great value to show loyalty
or deep affection.
44 at great length tediously long in duration, as a speech, long, lengthy quick, short
having great linear extent; very long.
45 desire to want or wish for. want, wish for, lust, aversion, abomination
hanker for, long for,
crave
46 deteriorate to cause damage to, especially little by decline, slip, suffer, improve, restore,
little, to become less in value or quality; wear, fade
decline.
47 depart to leave; go away. exit, go, quit arrive, remain, return

48 abode a house or any other place where one home, residence,

lives; home. dwelling, place

49 find shelter to go a place for protection from danger seek/find/take refuge expose, harm
or trouble.

* Culturing one child at a time!!! :) :) :) Thank you for sharing the most delicious fruit of all scriptures with your
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