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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 11: The Transcendental Qualities of Vṛtrāsura
6.11.116.11.13

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.11.12

Manvantara· The Manus and right duty
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 6.11.6inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

न सन्नवाहाय विषण्णचेतसे

प्रायुङ्क्त भूय: स गदां महात्मा ।

इन्द्रोऽमृतस्यन्दिकराभिमर्श

वीतव्यथक्षतवाहोऽवतस्थे ॥ १२ ॥

na sanna-vāhāya viṣaṇṇa-cetase

prāyuṅkta bhūyaḥ sa gadāṁ mahātmā

indro ’mṛta-syandi-karābhimarśa-

vīta-vyatha-kṣata-vāho ’vatasthe

Translation

When he saw Indra’s carrier elephant thus fatigued and injured and when he saw Indra morose because his carrier had been harmed in that way, the great soul Vṛtrāsura, following religious principles, refrained from again striking Indra with the club. Taking this opportunity, Indra touched the elephant with his nectar-producing hand, thus relieving the animal’s pain and curing its injuries. Then the elephant and Indra both stood silently.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Religious Principles Guide Restraint

  1. 1

    Vṛtrāsura saw that Indra’s elephant was fatigued and injured, and that Indra was deeply saddened.

  2. 2

    Following religious principles, the great soul Vṛtrāsura refrained from striking Indra again with his club.

  3. 3

    Indra used this opportunity to touch the elephant with his nectar-producing hand, relieving its pain and healing its injuries.

How it feels

Danger → Fearless longing. A seeming enemy reveals the heart of a great devotee.

Chapters 11–13 of Canto 6: Vṛtrāsura's prayers and final battle. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 11: The Transcendental Qualities of Vṛtrāsura

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Unable to tolerate this, Indra, the King of the demigods, threw his club at Vṛtrāsura, but Vṛtrāsura was such a great hero that he easily caught the club with his left hand and used it to beat Indra’s elephant. Struck by the blow of Vṛtrāsura, the elephant was pushed back fourteen yards and fell, with Indra on its back.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.11
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nanot
  2. sannafatigued
  3. vāhāyaupon him whose carrier
  4. viṣaṇṇa-cetasemorose in the core of his heart
  5. prāyuṅktaused
  6. bhūyaḥagain
  7. saḥhe (Vṛtrāsura)
  8. gadāmthe club
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Manvantara · The change of Manus

    What gives human life its right direction? · Subject 6 of 10

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 6.11

    In this verse: “religious”, “principles”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can another person’s distress remind me to exercise restraint?

Practice

When someone is struggling today, pause rather than add to their difficulty.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayReligious Principles Guide RestraintThis 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.

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