1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

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

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 6 · Prescribed Duties for Mankind · 19 chapters

12345678910111213141516171819

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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
6.1.126.1.15

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 6.1.13-14

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vedavyāsasince 6.1.11inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण शमेन च दमेन च ।

त्यागेन सत्यशौचाभ्यां यमेन नियमेन वा ॥ १३ ॥

देहवाग्बुद्धिजं धीरा धर्मज्ञा: श्रद्धयान्विता: ।

क्षिपन्त्यघं महदपि वेणुगुल्ममिवानल: ॥ १४ ॥

tapasā brahmacaryeṇa

śamena ca damena ca

tyāgena satya-śaucābhyāṁ

yamena niyamena vā

deha-vāg-buddhijaṁ dhīrā

dharmajñāḥ śraddhayānvitāḥ

kṣipanty aghaṁ mahad api

veṇu-gulmam ivānalaḥ

Translation

To concentrate the mind, one must observe a life of celibacy and not fall down. One must undergo the austerity of voluntarily giving up sense enjoyment. One must then control the mind and senses, give charity, be truthful, clean and nonviolent, follow the regulative principles and regularly chant the holy name of the Lord. Thus a sober and faithful person who knows the religious principles is temporarily purified of all sins performed with his body, words and mind. These sins are like the dried leaves of creepers beneath a bamboo tree, which may be burned by fire although their roots remain to grow again at the first opportunity.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Concentrate the Mind on Devotional Service

  1. 1

    Austerity means controlling the mind and senses and concentrating them on one activity. Concentrating the mind on devotional service is first-class austerity.

  2. 2

    On the path of devotional service, begin by controlling the tongue. Chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, speak about Kṛṣṇa, and eat only food offered to Him.

  3. 3

    Religious disciplines can temporarily purify sins while leaving their roots able to grow again; devotional service is the completely perfect path. A sober person also learns to tolerate passing happiness and distress without being disturbed.

Key points from the purport
  • If one is a perfect brahmacārī, he can very easily control the mind and senses, give charity, speak truthfully and so forth.
  • To begin, however, one must control the tongue and the process of eating.
  • In the bhakti-mārga, the path of devotional service, one must strictly follow the regulative principles by first controlling the tongue (sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ).

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· 2

The purport of SB 6.1.13-14 quotesBG 6.17

Also, in Bhagavad-gītā (6.17) Kṛṣṇa says: “He who is temperate in his habits of eating, sleeping, working and recreation can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.”

The purport of SB 6.1.13-14 quotesBG 2.14

Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna in Bhagavad-gītā (2.14): “O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons.

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

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:

While performing fruitive activities one can become free from the actions of sinful life through austerity, penance, celibacy, control of the mind and senses, truthfulness and the practice of mystic yoga. By awakening knowledge one may also neutralize sinful reactions.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.1
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tapasāby austerity or voluntary rejection of material enjoyment
  2. brahmacaryeṇaby celibacy (the first austerity)
  3. śamenaby controlling the mind
  4. caand
  5. damenaby fully controlling the senses
  6. caalso
  7. tyāgenaby voluntarily giving charity to good causes
  8. satyaby truthfulness
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

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

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

    In this verse: “purified”, “sins”, “purify”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 6.1

    In this verse: “chant”, “holy name”

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 6.1

    In this verse: “religious”, “principles”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Which habit of my tongue most needs to be directed toward Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Set aside a few minutes today to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra with attention.

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.

7 lectures given on it · quoted in 62 more lectures. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Show 5 more lectures on it
Quoted in 62 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.

7

Connected stories

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

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 6.1's connections

Live this todayConcentrate the Mind on 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 6.1.13-14? Get an answer from the verses themselves.