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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
6.2.24-256.2.27

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.2.26

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Ajāmilasince 6.2.26inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit
A turning point forAjāmila· The meaning becomes clear

अहो मे परमं कष्टमभूदविजितात्मन: ।

येन विप्लावितं ब्रह्म वृषल्यां जायतात्मना ॥ २६ ॥

aho me paramaṁ kaṣṭam

abhūd avijitātmanaḥ

yena viplāvitaṁ brahma

vṛṣalyāṁ jāyatātmanā

Translation

Ajāmila said: Alas, being a servant of my senses, how degraded I became! I fell down from my position as a duly qualified brāhmaṇa and begot children in the womb of a prostitute.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Devotion Goes Beyond Material Marriage Calculations

  1. 1

    Ajāmila lamented that serving his uncontrolled senses had destroyed his qualifications as a brāhmaṇa.

  2. 2

    The purport describes Vedic marriage arrangements that examine compatibility according to the three qualities of material nature. These are material calculations.

  3. 3

    When both prospective spouses are devotees, such considerations are not necessary. A devotee is transcendental, and a marriage between devotees forms a very happy combination.

Key points from the purport
  • Therefore the custom in Vedic society is to examine the horoscopes of a girl and boy being considered for marriage to see whether their combination is suitable.
  • Of course, this is trai-guṇya, a material calculation according to the Vedas, but if the boy and girl are devotees there need be no such considerations.
  • A devotee is transcendental, and therefore in a marriage between devotees, the boy and girl form a very happy combination.

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 brāhmaṇa Ajāmila, however, offered his respectful obeisances to the Viṣṇudūtas. He could understand how fortunate he was to have chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa at the end of his life.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.2
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ahoalas
  2. memy
  3. paramamextreme
  4. kaṣṭammiserable condition
  5. abhūtbecame
  6. avijita-ātmanaḥbecause my senses were uncontrolled
  7. yenaby which
  8. viplāvitamdestroyed
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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

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 6.2

    In this verse: “children”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 6.2

    In this verse: “material”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 6.2

    In this verse: “devotees”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How much importance do I give to devotion compared with material qualifications?

Practice

Write down one way you can give devotional service priority over satisfying an uncontrolled sense today.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDevotion Goes Beyond Material Marriage CalculationsThis 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 6.2.26? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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