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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.
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Canto 6 · Chapter 17: Mother Pārvatī Curses Citraketu
6.17.176.17.19

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.17.18

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Citraketusince 6.17.17inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

संसारचक्र एतस्मिञ्जन्तुरज्ञानमोहित: ।

भ्राम्यन् सुखं च दु:खं च भुङ्क्ते सर्वत्र सर्वदा ॥ १८ ॥

saṁsāra-cakra etasmiñ

jantur ajñāna-mohitaḥ

bhrāmyan sukhaṁ ca duḥkhaṁ ca

bhuṅkte sarvatra sarvadā

Translation

Deluded by ignorance, the living entity wanders in the forest of this material world, enjoying the happiness and distress resulting from his past deeds, everywhere and at all times. [Therefore, my dear mother, neither you nor I am to be blamed for this incident.]

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Devotional Service Frees Us from Karma

  1. 1

    Bewildered by ignorance, the conditioned soul wanders through material existence. Everywhere he experiences happiness and distress resulting from past deeds.

  2. 2

    Although material nature carries out activities through its modes, the bewildered soul thinks himself the doer. In conditioned life, he is under nature’s control.

  3. 3

    The only remedy for escaping the wheel of karma is bhakti-mārga, devotional service or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One should surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

Key points from the purport
  • Actually a conditioned soul is completely under the control of material nature.
  • Wandering here and there — always and everywhere — he is subjected to the results of his past deeds.
  • To get free from the karma-cakra, the wheel of the results of one’s karma, one should take to bhakti-mārga — devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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 6.17.18 quotesBG 3.27

As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (3.27): “The bewildered soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by nature.”

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 17: Mother Pārvatī Curses Citraketu

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Citraketu, however, was not at all afraid of Pārvatī’s curse, and thus he spoke as follows: “Everyone in human society enjoys happiness and distress according to his past deeds and in this way travels in the material world. Therefore no one is responsible for his happiness and distress.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.17
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. saṁsāra-cakrein the wheel of material existence
  2. etasminthis
  3. jantuḥthe living entity
  4. ajñāna-mohitaḥbeing bewildered by ignorance
  5. bhrāmyanwandering
  6. sukhamhappiness
  7. caand
  8. duḥkhamdistress
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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 6.17

    In this verse: “material”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 6.17

    In this verse: “distress”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 6.17

    In this verse: “devotional service”, “bhakti-mārga”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

When do I forget my dependence and imagine that I independently control everything?

Practice

Set aside a few minutes today for devotional service, consciously offering that time to Kṛṣṇa.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDevotional Service Frees Us from KarmaThis 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.

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