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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

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

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How to study this verse, in six steps

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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

6.16.2 6.16.4

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.16.3

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

कलेवरं स्वमाविश्य शेषमायु: सुहृद्‌वृत: ।

भुङ्‌क्ष्व भोगान् पितृप्रत्तानधितिष्ठ नृपासनम् ॥ ३ ॥

kalevaraṁ svam āviśya

śeṣam āyuḥ suhṛd-vṛtaḥ

bhuṅkṣva bhogān pitṛ-prattān

adhitiṣṭha nṛpāsanam

Translation

Because you died untimely, the balance of your lifetime still remains. Therefore you may reenter your body and enjoy the remainder of your life, surrounded by your friends and relatives. Accept the royal throne and all the opulences given by your father.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

An Invitation to Reenter the Body

1
Because the son died untimely, a balance of his lifetime still remains.
2
He is invited to reenter his body and enjoy the remainder of life among friends and relatives.
3
He is also invited to accept the royal throne and the opulences given by his father.

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

Chapter 16: King Citraketu Meets the Supreme Lord

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

For a certain period of time, one receives a particular type of body as a son or father in a false relationship. 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.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 6.16

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

kalevarambody
svamyour own
āviśyaentering
śeṣamthe balance
āyuḥduration of life
suhṛt-vṛtaḥsurrounded by your friends and relatives
bhuṅkṣvajust enjoy
bhogānall enjoyable opulences

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
Sakhya · Sacred friendship
The affection of companions and friends of the Lord. · Theme in SB 6.16
In this verse: “friends”
Vātsalya · Parental affection
Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 6.16
In this verse: “father”

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does the invitation to reenter the body suggest about the living entity’s distinction from it?

Practice

Reread the invitation and note the distinction between the person addressed and the body he may enter.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayAn Invitation to Reenter the BodyThis 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 6.16.3? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

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