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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 14: King Citraketu’s Lamentation
6.14.96.14.11

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.14.10

Manvantara· The Manus and right duty
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 6.14.9inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

आसीद्राजा सार्वभौम: शूरसेनेषु वै नृप ।

चित्रकेतुरिति ख्यातो यस्यासीत्कामधुङ्‍मही ॥ १० ॥

āsīd rājā sārvabhaumaḥ

śūraseneṣu vai nṛpa

citraketur iti khyāto

yasyāsīt kāmadhuṅ mahī

Translation

O King Parīkṣit, in the province of Śūrasena there was a king named Citraketu, who ruled the entire earth. During his reign, the earth produced all the necessities for life.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord Supplies Life’s Necessities

  1. 1

    King Citraketu ruled the entire earth from Śūrasena, and during his reign the earth produced all the necessities of life.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇa, the supreme controller, owns everything and supplies the necessities of all living entities. We should accept only what we need as our allotted share.

  3. 3

    The earth’s productiveness is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A pious ruler who follows śāstric injunctions supports abundance and freedom from exploitation; administration alone is not enough.

Key points from the purport
  • Here the most significant statement is that the earth completely produced all the necessities of life during the time of King Citraketu.
  • These necessities come from the earth, and thus the earth is the source of supply.
  • Elsewhere in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.10.4) it is said, kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ sarva-kāma-dughā mahī: “During the reign of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, the clouds showered all the water that people needed, and the earth produced all the necessities of men in profusion.”

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 6.14.10 quotesSB 1.10.4

Elsewhere in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.10.4) it is said, kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ sarva-kāma-dughā mahī: “During the reign of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, the clouds showered all the water that people needed, and the earth produced all the necessities of men in profusion.”

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

Parental grief → Detachment and surrender. A flashback discloses the devotional history behind Vṛtrāsura.

Chapters 14–17 of Canto 6: Citraketu's grief, realization and curse. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 14: King Citraketu’s Lamentation

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

In this connection the previous life of Vṛtrāsura is discussed. This involves the story of Citraketu and how he was victimized by lamentation because of the death of his son.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.14
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. āsītthere was
  2. rājāone king
  3. sārva-bhaumaḥan emperor of the entire surface of the globe
  4. śūraseneṣuin the country known as Śūrasena
  5. vaiindeed
  6. nṛpaO King
  7. citraketuḥCitraketu
  8. itithus
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 6.14

    In this verse: “king”, “ruler”, “administration”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Am I accepting what I need with gratitude, or taking more than my share?

Practice

At one meal today, take only what you need and acknowledge the Lord as its provider.

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.

The purport quotesSB 1.10.4

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 6.14's connections

Live this todayThe Lord Supplies Life’s NecessitiesThis 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 6.14.10? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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