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

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Canto 6 · Prescribed Duties for Mankind · 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 6 · Chapter 1: The History of the Life of Ajāmila
6.1.96.1.11

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.1.10

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:King Parīkṣitsince 6.1.9inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

क्‍वचिन्निवर्ततेऽभद्रात्‍क्‍वचिच्चरति तत्पुन: ।

प्रायश्चित्तमथोऽपार्थं मन्ये कुञ्जरशौचवत् ॥ १० ॥

kvacin nivartate ’bhadrāt

kvacic carati tat punaḥ

prāyaścittam atho ’pārthaṁ

manye kuñjara-śaucavat

Translation

Sometimes one who is very alert so as not to commit sinful acts is victimized by sinful life again. I therefore consider this process of repeated sinning and atoning to be useless. It is like the bathing of an elephant, for an elephant cleanses itself by taking a full bath, but then throws dust over its head and body as soon as it returns to the land.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Do Not Repeat the Elephant’s Bath

  1. 1

    Even someone alert to avoid sinful acts may fall into them again. Mahārāja Parīkṣit therefore rejects repeated sinning and atoning as useless.

  2. 2

    An elephant bathes and then throws dust over its head and body. This illustrates cleansing that is immediately undone by repeating the same behavior.

  3. 3

    Śukadeva Gosvāmī’s answer about atonement was a test of the King’s intelligence. Parīkṣit Mahārāja passes by rejecting it as a genuine solution and awaiting another answer from his spiritual master.

Key points from the purport
  • When Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquired how a human being could free himself from sinful activities so as not to be forced to go to hellish planetary systems after death, Śukadeva Gosvāmī answered that the process of counteracting sinful life is atonement.
  • In this way Śukadeva Gosvāmī tested the intelligence of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who passed the examination by refusing to accept this process as genuine.
  • Now Parīkṣit Mahārāja is expecting another answer from his spiritual master, Śukadeva Gosvāmī.

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

Guilt and mortal terror → Mercy and renewed devotion. The holy name opens a path beyond an apparently hopeless death.

Chapters 1–3 of Canto 6: Ajāmila and the Viṣṇudūtas. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 1: The History of the Life of Ajāmila

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

A full description of how he was liberated, having been relieved of the reactions of his sinful life, is given in this chapter. Sinful activities are painful both in this life and in the next.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.1
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kvacitsometimes
  2. nivartateceases
  3. abhadrātfrom sinful activity
  4. kvacitsometimes
  5. caraticommits
  6. tatthat (sinful activity)
  7. punaḥagain
  8. prāyaścittamthe process of atonement
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

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 6.1

    In this verse: “cleanses”, “sinful”, “cleansing”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 6.1

    In this verse: “king’s”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Where am I undoing my efforts to improve by returning to the same behavior?

Practice

Identify one improvement you recently made and avoid one action today that would undo it.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.

4 lectures given on it · quoted in 6 more lectures. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Show 2 more lectures on it
Quoted in 6 other lectures

In each of these he quotes this verse while speaking on another verse or subject. "Find the quote" opens the transcript at that spot.

Live this todayDo Not Repeat the Elephant’s BathThis 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 6.1.10? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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