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

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Canto 5 · The Creative Impetus · 26 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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.2.6

Who is speaking and story frame

तामेवाविदूरे मधुकरीमिव सुमनस उपजिघ्रन्तीं दिविजमनुजमनोनयनाह्लाददुघैर्गतिविहारव्रीडाविनयावलोकसुस्वराक्षरावयवैर्मनसि नृणां कुसुमायुधस्य विदधतीं विवरं निजमुख विगलितामृतासवसहासभाषणामोदमदान्धमधुकरनिकरोपरोधेन द्रुतपदविन्यासेन वल्गुस्पन्दनस्तनकलशकबरभाररशनां देवीं तदवलोकनेन विवृतावसरस्य भगवतो मकरध्वजस्य वशमुपनीतो जडवदिति होवाच ॥ ६ ॥

tām evāvidūre madhukarīm iva sumanasa upajighrantīṁ divija-manuja-mano-nayanāhlāda-dughair gati-vihāra-vrīḍā-vinayāvaloka-susvarākṣarāvayavair manasi nṛṇāṁ kusumāyudhasya vidadhatīṁ vivaraṁ nija-mukha-vigalitāmṛtāsava-sahāsa-bhāṣaṇāmoda-madāndha-madhukara-nikaroparodhena druta-pada-vinyāsena valgu-spandana-stana-kalaśa-kabara-bhāra-raśanāṁ devīṁ tad-avalokanena vivṛtāvasarasya bhagavato makara-dhvajasya vaśam upanīto jaḍavad iti hovāca.

Translation

Like a honeybee, the Apsarā smelled the beautiful and attractive flowers. She could attract the minds and vision of both humans and demigods by her playful movements, her shyness and humility, her glances, the very pleasing sounds that poured from her mouth as she spoke, and the motion of her limbs. By all these qualities, she opened for Cupid, who bears an arrow of flowers, a path of aural reception into the minds of men. When she spoke, nectar seemed to flow from her mouth. As she breathed, the bees, mad for the taste of her breath, tried to hover about her beautiful lotuslike eyes. Disturbed by the bees, she tried to move hastily, but as she raised her feet to walk quickly, her hair, the belt on her hips, and her breasts, which were like water jugs, also moved in a way that made her extremely beautiful and attractive. Indeed, she seemed to be making a path for the entrance of Cupid, who is most powerful. Therefore the prince, completely subdued by seeing her, spoke to her as follows.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Guard Devotion Against Captivating Material Attractions

  1. 1

    Pūrvacitti’s voice, gestures, and beauty captivated the prince. The purport explains that such attraction awakens lusty desires among both humans and demigods.

  2. 2

    Contemplating bodily beauty and material opulence increases the desire to remain in the material world. This checks advancement toward the spiritual world.

  3. 3

    Those serious about returning home, back to Godhead, should avoid dwelling on objects of sense gratification and seek devotional service without material motives. Once a devotee is fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these attractions no longer agitate the mind.

Key points from the purport
  • How a beautiful woman’s movements and gestures, her hair and the structure of her breasts, hips and other bodily features attract the minds not only of men but of demigods also is very finely described in this statement.
  • Therefore the beautiful bodily features of the women there are also thousands and thousands of times more attractive than the features of the women on earth.
  • Thus one’s promotion to the spiritual world is checked simply by seeing the beautiful bodily structure and movements of women.

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 5.2.6 quotesCC Madhya 11.8

“Alas, for a person who is seriously desiring to cross the material ocean and engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord without material motives, seeing a materialist engaged in sense gratification or seeing a woman who is similarly interested is more abominable than drinking poison willingly.”

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

Responsibility → Renunciation. Leadership is set beside the renounced ideal.

Chapters 1–6 of Canto 5: Priyavrata and Ṛṣabhadeva. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 2: The Activities of Mahārāja Āgnīdhra

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

After dressing herself very attractively, she presented herself before him with various feminine movements, and Āgnīdhra was naturally attracted to her. The girl’s actions, expressions, smile, sweet words and moving eyes were fascinating to him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 5.2
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tāmto her
  2. evaindeed
  3. avidūrenearby
  4. madhukarīm ivalike a honeybee
  5. sumanasaḥbeautiful flowers
  6. upajighrantīmsmelling
  7. divi-jaof those born in the heavenly planets
  8. manu-jaof those born in human society
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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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 5.2

    In this verse: “lusty”, “sense gratification”, “material”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 5.2

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

  • Dainya · Humility

    Ego yields to insight, service and surrender. · Theme in SB 5.2

    In this verse: “humility”

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

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Which material attractions draw my attention away from devotional service?

Practice

Today, turn away from one image or display that encourages lust or fascination with wealth, and give that time to devotional service.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayGuard Devotion Against Captivating Material AttractionsThis 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 5.2.6? Get an answer from the verses themselves.