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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 16: King Citraketu Meets the Supreme Lord
6.16.106.16.12

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.16.11

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Nārada Munisince 6.16.2inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitAṅgirā and Nārada Muni → King Citraketu

नादत्त आत्मा हि गुणं न दोषं न क्रियाफलम् ।

उदासीनवदासीन: परावरद‍ृगीश्वर: ॥ ११ ॥

nādatta ātmā hi guṇaṁ

na doṣaṁ na kriyā-phalam

udāsīnavad āsīnaḥ

parāvara-dṛg īśvaraḥ

Translation

The Supreme Lord [ātmā], the creator of cause and effect, does not accept the happiness and distress that result from fruitive actions. He is completely independent of having to accept a material body, and because He has no material body, He is always neutral. The living entities, being part and parcel of the Lord, possess His qualities in a minute quantity. Therefore one should not be affected by lamentation.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Do Your Duty, Depend on the Lord

  1. 1

    The Supreme Lord sits in everyone’s heart as the neutral witness. His neutrality means that He is not personally affected, not that He takes no action.

  2. 2

    Remaining undisturbed in circumstances such as the death of one’s son is very difficult. The best course is to depend upon the Lord, who knows how to adjust everything.

  3. 3

    One should perform one’s devotional duty and depend upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead for the results. Seeking shelter at His lotus feet frees one from being absorbed in material duality.

Key points from the purport
  • We should also understand that udāsīna, neutral, does not mean that He takes no action.
  • To become completely neutral, indifferent, to material activities, we should simply seek shelter at the lotus feet of the supreme neutral person.
  • One should execute one’s devotional duty, and for the results of one’s actions one should depend upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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 6.16.11 quotesBG 2.47

As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (2.47): “You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action.

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 16: King Citraketu Meets the Supreme Lord

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The living entity is actually a spiritual soul who is part and parcel of God and has nothing to do with relationships in the world of duality. Therefore Nārada Muni advised Citraketu not to lament for his so-called dead son.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.16
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nanot
  2. ādatteaccepts
  3. ātmāthe Supreme Lord
  4. hiindeed
  5. guṇamhappiness
  6. nanot
  7. doṣamunhappiness
  8. nanor
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Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 6.16

    In this verse: “material”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 6.16

    In this verse: “distress”

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 6.16

    In this verse: “lamentation”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Which result could I entrust to the Lord while still doing my duty?

Practice

Perform one small devotional duty today, consciously leaving its result to the Lord.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDo Your Duty, Depend on the LordThis 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 6.16.11? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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