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 16: King Citraketu Meets the Supreme Lord
6.16.16.16.3

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.16.2

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
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

श्रीनारद उवाच

जीवात्मन् पश्य भद्रं ते मातरं पितरं च ते ।

सुहृदो बान्धवास्तप्ता: शुचा त्वत्कृतया भृशम् ॥ २ ॥

śrī-nārada uvāca

jīvātman paśya bhadraṁ te

mātaraṁ pitaraṁ ca te

suhṛdo bāndhavās taptāḥ

śucā tvat-kṛtayā bhṛśam

Translation

Śrī Nārada Muni said: O living entity, all good fortune unto you. Just see your father and mother. All your friends and relatives are overwhelmed with grief because of your passing away.

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.

Nārada Wishes the Living Entity Well

  1. 1

    Nārada Muni addresses the departed son as a living entity and wishes him all good fortune.

  2. 2

    He asks the living entity to look at his father and mother.

  3. 3

    The friends and relatives are overwhelmed with grief because of his passing away.

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:

All our relationships in this material world with friends, relatives or enemies consist of duality, in which one feels happy and distressed on the basis of illusion. 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.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.16
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-nāradaḥ uvācaŚrī Nārada Muni said
  2. jīva-ātmanO living entity
  3. paśyajust see
  4. bhadramgood fortune
  5. teunto you
  6. mātaramthe mother
  7. pitaramthe father
  8. caand
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Īśānukathā · The science of God

    Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 6.16

    In this verse: “mother”, “father”

  • Sakhya · Sacred friendship

    The affection of companions and friends of the Lord. · Theme in SB 6.16

    In this verse: “friends”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What do I notice about Nārada’s kind words amid the family’s grief?

Practice

Offer a simple, sincere wish for the well-being of someone who is grieving.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayNārada Wishes the Living Entity WellThis 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 6.16.2? 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