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 11: The Transcendental Qualities of Vṛtrāsura
6.11.226.11.24

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.11.23

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

त्रैवर्गिकायासविघातमस्मत्-

पतिर्विधत्ते पुरुषस्य शक्र ।

ततोऽनुमेयो भगवत्प्रसादो

यो दुर्लभोऽकिञ्चनगोचरोऽन्यै: ॥ २३ ॥

trai-vargikāyāsa-vighātam asmat-

patir vidhatte puruṣasya śakra

tato ’numeyo bhagavat-prasādo

yo durlabho ’kiñcana-gocaro ’nyaiḥ

Translation

Our Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, forbids His devotees to endeavor uselessly for religion, economic development and sense gratification. O Indra, one can thus infer how kind the Lord is. Such mercy is obtainable only by unalloyed devotees, not by persons who aspire for material gains.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord’s Mercy Protects Pure Devotion

  1. 1

    A devotee desires only to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, both in this life and in the next. Material benefits are not the goal of pure devotion.

  2. 2

    The Lord’s special mercy saves His unalloyed devotee from hard labor for the results of religion, economic development and sense gratification. Those who want such benefits may receive them instead.

  3. 3

    Indra desired material happiness in the heavenly planets, whereas Vṛtrāsura aspired only to serve the Lord. The Lord therefore arranged for Vṛtrāsura to go back to Godhead when his bodily bondage ended.

Key points from the purport
  • There are four objectives in human life — namely, religiosity (dharma), economic development (artha), sense gratification (kāma), and liberation (mokṣa) from the bondage of material existence.
  • People generally aspire for religiosity, economic development and sense gratification, but a devotee has no other desire than to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead both in this life and in the next.
  • The special mercy for the unalloyed devotee is that the Lord saves him from hard labor to achieve the results of religion, economic development and sense gratification.

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

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:

Reminding Indra of his heinous activities, Vṛtrāsura said, “If one is a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, and depends on Lord Viṣṇu in every respect, then victory, opulence and peace of mind are all inevitably available. Such a person has nothing for which to aspire in the three worlds.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.11
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. trai-vargikafor the three objectives, namely religiosity, economic development, and satisfaction of the senses
  2. āyāsaof endeavor
  3. vighātamthe ruin
  4. asmatour
  5. patiḥLord
  6. vidhatteperforms
  7. puruṣasyaof a devotee
  8. śakraO Indra
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: “devotees”, “devotion”, “devotee”

  • Moha · Material attachment

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

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

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 6.11

    In this verse: “mercy”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Am I seeking the Lord’s service itself, or mainly the benefits I hope it will bring?

Practice

Offer a brief prayer today asking for the desire to serve the Lord rather than for material gain.

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.

Quoted in 1 lecture. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Quoted in 1 lecture

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 todayThe Lord’s Mercy Protects Pure DevotionThis 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 6.11.23? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories