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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
6.14.206.14.22

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.14.21

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The great sage Aṅgirāsince 6.14.17inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

आत्मन: प्रीयते नात्मा परत: स्वत एव वा ।

लक्षयेऽलब्धकामं त्वां चिन्तया शबलं मुखम् ॥ २१ ॥

ātmanaḥ prīyate nātmā

parataḥ svata eva vā

lakṣaye ’labdha-kāmaṁ tvāṁ

cintayā śabalaṁ mukham

Translation

O King Citraketu, I can observe that your mind is not pleased. You seem not to have achieved your desired goal. Is this because of you yourself, or has it been caused by others? Your pale face reflects your deep anxiety.

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.

Unfulfilled Desires Can Reveal Deep Anxiety

  1. 1

    Citraketu’s mind was not pleased because he seemed not to have achieved his desired goal.

  2. 2

    He was asked whether his unhappiness arose from himself or was caused by others.

  3. 3

    His pale face reflected his deep anxiety. His inner distress was visible outwardly.

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:

And among many millions of such liberated persons, one may become a devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa. Therefore such devotees are extremely rare.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.14
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ātmanaḥof you
  2. prīyateis pleased
  3. nanot
  4. ātmāthe mind
  5. parataḥdue to other causes
  6. svataḥdue to yourself
  7. evaindeed
  8. vāor
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 6.14

    In this verse: “king”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 6.14

    In this verse: “distress”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What unfulfilled desire is troubling my mind, and what is causing that distress?

Practice

Take a quiet moment to name one anxiety and consider whether its cause lies in yourself or in outside circumstances.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayUnfulfilled Desires Can Reveal Deep AnxietyThis 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 6.14.21? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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