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

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Canto 4 · The Creation of the Fourth Order · 31 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 4 · Chapter 6: Brahmā Satisfies Lord Śiva
4.6.244.6.26

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.6.25

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Conjecturing on the origin of the storm, theysince 4.5.8inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

ययो: सुरस्त्रिय: क्षत्तरवरुह्य स्वधिष्ण्यत: ।

क्रीडन्ति पुंस: सिञ्चन्त्यो विगाह्य रतिकर्शिता: ॥ २५ ॥

yayoḥ sura-striyaḥ kṣattar

avaruhya sva-dhiṣṇyataḥ

krīḍanti puṁsaḥ siñcantyo

vigāhya rati-karśitāḥ

Translation

My dear Kṣattā, Vidura, the celestial damsels come down to those rivers in their airplanes with their husbands, and after sexual enjoyment, they enter the water and enjoy sprinkling their husbands with water.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Service to Govinda Sanctifies Our Lives

  1. 1

    Even the heavenly damsels become unhappy after sexual enjoyment. They bathe in the sanctified rivers Nandā and Alakanandā.

  2. 2

    Anything brought into contact with devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes purified and spiritualized. This principle underlies the rules and regulations of devotional service.

  3. 3

    One fixed in serving the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, receives the benefits of pilgrimage. A pure devotee’s presence can make any place sacred.

Key points from the purport
  • It is significant that these rivers, Nandā and Alakanandā, are sanctified by the dust of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
  • Tīrtha means “sanctified place,” and pāda means “the lotus feet of the Lord.”
  • In other words, those who are devoted to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, automatically become sanctified.

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

Connected verses· 1

The purport of SB 4.6.25 quotesSB 1.13.10

Such a pure devotee, who has implicit faith in the lotus feet of the Lord, can create sacred places in any part of the world where he decides to remain: tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni.

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

How it feels

Humiliation and anger → Reconciliation. Relational offense leads to grief and destruction before restoration.

Chapters 1–7 of Canto 4: Dakṣa, Satī and Śiva. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 6: Brahmā Satisfies Lord Śiva

Brahmā and the demigods approach Lord Śiva, asking him to show mercy.

Back to this verse in chapter 4.6
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. yayoḥin both of which (rivers)
  2. sura-striyaḥthe celestial damsels along with their husbands
  3. kṣattaḥO Vidura
  4. avaruhyadescending
  5. sva-dhiṣṇyataḥfrom their own airplanes
  6. krīḍantithey play
  7. puṁsaḥtheir husbands
  8. siñcantyaḥsprinkling with water
  9. vigāhyaafter entering (the water)
  10. rati-karśitāḥwhose enjoyment has become diminished
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 4.6

    In this verse: “devotional service”, “devotee’s”

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 4.6

    In this verse: “purified”

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 4.6

    In this verse: “nandā”

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

How can I give more attention to serving Govinda wherever I am?

Practice

Set aside five minutes today for devotional service, remembering that service to Govinda sanctifies your life.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

The purport quotesSB 1.13.10

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 4.6's connections

Live this todayService to Govinda Sanctifies Our LivesThis 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 4.6.25? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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