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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 3: Yamarāja Instructs His Messengers
6.3.196.3.22

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 6.3.20-21

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Yamarājasince 6.3.12inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitYamarāja → the Yamadūtas

स्वयम्भूर्नारद: शम्भु: कुमार: कपिलो मनु: ।

प्रह्लादो जनको भीष्मो बलिर्वैयासकिर्वयम् ॥ २० ॥

द्वादशैते विजानीमो धर्मं भागवतं भटा: ।

गुह्यं विशुद्धं दुर्बोधं यं ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते ॥ २१ ॥

svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ

kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ

prahlādo janako bhīṣmo

balir vaiyāsakir vayam

dvādaśaite vijānīmo

dharmaṁ bhāgavataṁ bhaṭāḥ

guhyaṁ viśuddhaṁ durbodhaṁ

yaṁ jñātvāmṛtam aśnute

Translation

Lord Brahmā, Bhagavān Nārada, Lord Śiva, the four Kumāras, Lord Kapila [the son of Devahūti], Svāyambhuva Manu, Prahlāda Mahārāja, Janaka Mahārāja, Grandfather Bhīṣma, Bali Mahārāja, Śukadeva Gosvāmī and I myself know the real religious principle. My dear servants, this transcendental religious principle, which is known as bhāgavata-dharma, or surrender unto the Supreme Lord and love for Him, is uncontaminated by the material modes of nature. It is very confidential and difficult for ordinary human beings to understand, but if by chance one fortunately understands it, he is immediately liberated, and thus he returns home, back to Godhead.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Learn Surrender Through Recognized Disciplic Succession

  1. 1

    Bhāgavata-dharma means surrender unto the Supreme Lord and love for Him. This confidential religious principle is free from the material modes of nature.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇa asks one to give up all other duties and surrender unto Him. This principle becomes understandable by following the paramparā system, or disciplic succession, of recognized authorities.

  3. 3

    One must take shelter of one of the four recognized successions: Brahma, Rudra, Śrī or Kumāra. A succession without a link to these authorities cannot enable one to understand real religious principles.

Key points from the purport
  • In Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa refers to bhāgavata-dharma as the most confidential religious principle (sarva-guhyatamam, guhyād guhyataram).
  • In answer, Yamarāja states herein that this religious principle is understandable if one follows the paramparā system of Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, the four Kumāras and the other standard authorities.
  • There are four lines of disciplic succession: one from Lord Brahmā, one from Lord Śiva, one from Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, and one from the Kumāras.

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· 5

Quoted in the purport ofSB 4.24.18

Lord Śiva is one of the twelve great personalities, as stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.3.20): These are twelve great authorities in preaching God consciousness.

Quoted in the purport ofSB 4.24.51

Lord Śiva is one of the twelve great authorities mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.3.20).

Quoted in the purport ofSB 7.5.53

As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.3.20): One must follow in the footsteps of such great personalities as Lord Brahmā, Nārada, Lord Śiva, Kapila, Manu, the Kumāras, Prahlāda Mahārāja, Bhīṣma, Janaka, Bali Mahārāja, Śukadeva Gosvāmī and Yamarāja.

Quoted in the purport ofSB 7.10.21

There are many, many devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they have been enumerated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.3.20) as follows: Of the twelve authorized devotees — Lord Brahmā, Nārada, Lord Śiva, Kapila, Manu and so on — Prahlāda Mahārāja is understood to be the best example.

Quoted in the purport ofSB 7.13.46

balir vaiyāsakir vayam. The conclusion is that a paramahaṁsa is an exalted devotee (bhagavat-priya).

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

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 3: Yamarāja Instructs His Messengers

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

It is by the mercy of the Lord that the transcendental system of religion can be understood by His pure devotees, and specifically by the twelve mahājanas Lord Brahmā, Nārada Muni, Lord Śiva, the Kumāras, Kapila, Manu, Prahlāda, Janaka, Bhīṣma, Bali, Śukadeva Gosvāmī and me.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.3
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. svayambhūḥLord Brahmā
  2. nāradaḥthe great saint Nārada
  3. śambhuḥLord Śiva
  4. kumāraḥthe four Kumāras
  5. kapilaḥLord Kapila
  6. manuḥSvāyambhuva Manu
  7. prahlādaḥPrahlāda Mahārāja
  8. janakaḥJanaka Mahārāja
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Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 6.3

    In this verse: “religious”, “duties”, “principles”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 6.3

    In this verse: “surrender”, “shelter”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 6.3

    In this verse: “understand”, “understandable”

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

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can learning through a recognized disciplic succession help me understand surrender to Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Reread the explanation of the four disciplic successions and write down why their connection to recognized authorities matters.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.

1 lecture given on it · quoted in 52 more lectures. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Quoted in 52 other lectures

In each of these he quotes this verse while speaking on another verse or subject. "Find the quote" opens the transcript at that spot.

7

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 6.3's connections

Live this todayLearn Surrender Through Recognized Disciplic SuccessionThis 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 6.3.20-21? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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