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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
6.11.216.11.23

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.11.22

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śrī Vṛtrāsurasince 6.11.14inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

पुंसां किलैकान्तधियां स्वकानां

या: सम्पदो दिवि भूमौ रसायाम् ।

न राति यद्‌द्वेष उद्वेग आधि-

र्मद: कलिर्व्यसनं सम्प्रयास: ॥ २२ ॥

puṁsāṁ kilaikānta-dhiyāṁ svakānāṁ

yāḥ sampado divi bhūmau rasāyām

na rāti yad dveṣa udvega ādhir

madaḥ kalir vyasanaṁ samprayāsaḥ

Translation

Persons who fully surrender at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and always think of His lotus feet are accepted and recognized by the Lord as His own personal assistants or servants. The Lord never bestows upon such servants the brilliant opulences of the upper, lower and middle planetary systems of this material world. When one possesses material opulence in any of these three divisions of the universe, his possessions naturally increase his enmity, anxiety, mental agitation, pride and belligerence. Thus one goes through much endeavor to increase and maintain his possessions, and he suffers great unhappiness when he loses them.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Possessions Are Meant for the Lord’s Service

  1. 1

    The Lord recognizes those who fully surrender and always think of His lotus feet as His own servants. He rewards devotees according to their surrender and desires.

  2. 2

    Material possessions require hard labor and bring rivalry, envy, anxiety and distress when lost. Vṛtrāsura understood this and did not want material possessions.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, may arrange possessions to facilitate a devotee’s devotional activities. Such possessions differ from those of a karmī because the devotee uses them only in the Lord’s service.

Key points from the purport
  • The Lord was actually more favorable to Vṛtrāsura because after being killed by Indra’s thunderbolt, Vṛtrāsura would go back to Godhead, whereas the victorious Indra would rot in this material world.
  • To accumulate material possessions, one must labor very hard, and when he gets them he creates many enemies because this material world is always full of rivalry.
  • Because a devotee never uses material possessions for any purpose other than the service of the Lord, the possessions of a devotee are not to be compared to those of a karmī.

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 6.11.22 quotesBG 4.11

In Bhagavad-gītā (4.11) the Lord says: “As devotees surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly.

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

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:

I do not desire to be promoted to the higher planetary systems, even to Dhruvaloka or Brahmaloka, nor do I desire an unconquerable position within this material world. I have no need for such things.”
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.11
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. puṁsāmunto persons
  2. kilacertainly
  3. ekānta-dhiyāmwho are advanced in spiritual consciousness
  4. svakānāmwho are recognized by the Supreme Personality of Godhead as His own
  5. yāḥwhich
  6. sampadaḥopulences
  7. diviin the upper planetary systems
  8. bhūmauin the middle planetary systems
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 6.11

    In this verse: “devotional”, “devotees”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 6.11

    In this verse: “surrender”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 6.11

    In this verse: “material”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How could I use something I possess for the Lord’s service rather than for my own pride?

Practice

Choose one possession today and use it for a specific act of devotional service.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayPossessions Are Meant for the Lord’s 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.

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