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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 1 · Creation · 19 chapters

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
  3. 3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
  4. 4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
  5. 5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
  6. 6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›
Canto 1 · Chapter 9: The Passing Away of Bhīṣmadeva in the Presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa
1.9.221.9.24

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.9.23

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Bhīṣmadevasince 1.9.12inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

भक्त्यावेश्य मनो यस्मिन् वाचा यन्नाम कीर्तयन् ।

त्यजन् कलेवरं योगी मुच्यते कामकर्मभि: ॥ २३ ॥

bhaktyāveśya mano yasmin

vācā yan-nāma kīrtayan

tyajan kalevaraṁ yogī

mucyate kāma-karmabhiḥ

Translation

The Personality of Godhead, who appears in the mind of the devotee by attentive devotion and meditation and by chanting of the holy name, releases the devotee from the bondage of fruitive activities at the time of his quitting the material body.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Absorb the Mind in Devotional Service

  1. 1

    True concentration means complete engagement in the Lord’s service. The devotee fills life with hearing, chanting, remembering and other forms of devotional service.

  2. 2

    By the Lord’s grace, a devoted yogī can remember Him and chant His holy name when leaving the body. The Lord releases that devotee from fruitive activities and brings him to an eternal spiritual planet.

  3. 3

    Devotional service does not destroy natural desires; it applies them to the Lord’s service. This redirects desire away from material bondage toward spiritual life.

Key points from the purport
  • And actually such concentration is samādhi, or cent-percent engagement in the service of the Lord.
  • General Bhīṣmadeva is referring to a particular type of yoga called bhakti-yoga, and he was fortunate enough to have the Lord directly in his presence before he quitted his material body.
  • He therefore desired that the Lord stay before his view in the following verses.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

How it feels

Grief → Trust. Violence and bereavement make Kṛṣṇa's protective presence precious.

Chapters 7–9 of Canto 1: Postwar anguish, Kuntī and Bhīṣma. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 9: The Passing Away of Bhīṣmadeva in the Presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa

Bhīṣmadeva instructs Yudhiṣṭhira and fixes his attention on Kṛṣṇa as he prepares to pass away.

Back to this verse in chapter 1.9
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. bhaktyāwith devout attention
  2. āveśyameditating
  3. manaḥmind
  4. yasminin whose
  5. vācāby words
  6. yatKṛṣṇa
  7. nāmaholy name
  8. kīrtayanby chanting
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 1.9

    In this verse: “devotion”, “devotee”, “devotional service”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 1.9

    In this verse: “chanting”, “holy name”, “hearing”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 1.9

    In this verse: “material”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Which of my desires could I apply to the Lord’s service?

Practice

Spend two quiet minutes chanting Kṛṣṇa’s holy name with attentive devotion.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayAbsorb the Mind in Devotional ServiceThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 1.9.23? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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