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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 13: King Indra Afflicted by Sinful Reaction
6.13.26.13.4

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.13.3

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:King Parīkṣitsince 6.13.3inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीराजोवाच

इन्द्रस्यानिर्वृतेर्हेतुं श्रोतुमिच्छामि भो मुने ।

येनासन् सुखिनो देवा हरेर्दु:खं कुतोऽभवत् ॥ ३ ॥

śrī-rājovāca

indrasyānirvṛter hetuṁ

śrotum icchāmi bho mune

yenāsan sukhino devā

harer duḥkhaṁ kuto ’bhavat

Translation

Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī: O great sage, what was the reason for Indra’s unhappiness? I wish to hear about this. When he killed Vṛtrāsura, all the demigods were extremely happy. Why, then, was Indra himself unhappy?

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Recognize Devotion Beyond Birth and Appearance

  1. 1

    Mahārāja Parīkṣit intelligently asked why Indra was unhappy while the demigods rejoiced. Indra knew that he had killed a great devotee and brāhmaṇa.

  2. 2

    Vṛtrāsura outwardly appeared to be a demon, but his dealings showed his devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. After the battle, he became an associate of Saṅkarṣaṇa in Vaikuṇṭhaloka.

  3. 3

    One should not judge someone as a demigod or demon simply by birth. A Vaiṣṇava is already a brāhmaṇa, but even a learned brāhmaṇa cannot be a guru unless he is a Vaiṣṇava.

Key points from the purport
  • Vṛtrāsura outwardly appeared to be a demon, but inwardly he was a great devotee and therefore a great brāhmaṇa.
  • Indra knew this, and therefore he was morose at having killed such a demon, who was actually a Vaiṣṇava or brāhmaṇa.
  • Vṛtrāsura was a perfect Vaiṣṇava, and therefore he was also a brāhmaṇa.

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 13: King Indra Afflicted by Sinful Reaction

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The demigods, however, encouraged Indra not to fear killing him because Indra was protected by the Nārāyaṇa-kavaca, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, Lord Nārāyaṇa. Even by a glimpse of the chanting of Nārāyaṇa’s name, one becomes free from all the sinful reactions of killing a woman, a cow or a brāhmaṇa.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.13
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-rājā uvācaKing Parīkṣit inquired
  2. indrasyaof King Indra
  3. anirvṛteḥof the moroseness
  4. hetumthe reason
  5. śrotumto hear
  6. icchāmiI wish
  7. bhoḥO my lord
  8. muneO great sage, Śukadeva Gosvāmī
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 6.13

    In this verse: “devotion”, “devotee”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 6.13

    In this verse: “inquired”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Do I give more importance to someone’s birth and appearance than to their devotion?

Practice

Reflect on one judgment you have made about someone’s background, and reconsider it in light of their devotional qualities.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

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 6.13's connections

Live this todayRecognize Devotion Beyond Birth and AppearanceThis 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 6.13.3? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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