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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 2: Ajāmila Delivered by the Viṣṇudūtas
6.2.206.2.22

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.2.21

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 6.2.20inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

इति प्रत्युदिता याम्या दूता यात्वा यमान्तिकम् ।

यमराज्ञे यथा सर्वमाचचक्षुररिन्दम ॥ २१ ॥

iti pratyuditā yāmyā

dūtā yātvā yamāntikam

yama-rājñe yathā sarvam

ācacakṣur arindama

Translation

My dear Mahārāja Parīkṣit, O subduer of all enemies, after the servants of Yamarāja had been answered by the order carriers of Lord Viṣṇu, they went to Yamarāja and explained to him everything that had happened.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Yamadūtas Report Their Unexpected Defeat

  1. 1

    The servants of Yamarāja are so powerful that ordinarily they cannot be hindered anywhere.

  2. 2

    This time, Lord Viṣṇu’s order carriers stopped them from taking a man they considered sinful. The Yamadūtas were baffled and disappointed.

  3. 3

    They immediately returned to Yamarāja and explained everything that had happened.

Key points from the purport
  • In this verse the word pratyuditāḥ is very significant.
  • The servants of Yamarāja are so powerful that they can never be hindered anywhere, but this time they were baffled and disappointed in their attempt to take away a man they considered sinful.
  • Therefore they immediately returned to Yamarāja and described to him everything that had happened.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

How it feels

Guilt and mortal terror → Mercy and renewed devotion. The holy name opens a path beyond an apparently hopeless death.

Chapters 1–3 of Canto 6: Ajāmila and the Viṣṇudūtas. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 2: Ajāmila Delivered by the Viṣṇudūtas

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The Viṣṇudūtas explained this as follows: “Simply by once chanting the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, this brāhmaṇa has become free from the reactions of sinful life. Indeed, he has been freed not only from the sins of this life, but from the sins of many, many thousands of other lives.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.2
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. itithus
  2. pratyuditāḥhaving been replied to (by the order carriers of Viṣṇu)
  3. yāmyāḥthe servants of Yamarāja
  4. dūtāḥthe messengers
  5. yātvāgoing
  6. yama-antikamto the abode of Lord Yamarāja
  7. yama-rājñeunto King Yamarāja
  8. yathāduly
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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

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 6.2

    In this verse: “sinful”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How do I respond when my judgment is challenged and events do not go as expected?

Practice

When describing one unexpected difficulty today, give a full account rather than leaving out what challenged your judgment.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Yamadūtas Report Their Unexpected DefeatThis 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 6.2.21? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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