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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

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 3: Yamarāja Instructs His Messengers

6.3.29 6.3.31

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.3.30

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Yamarājasince 6.3.12inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitYamarāja → the Yamadūtas

तत् क्षम्यतां स भगवान् पुरुष: पुराणो

नारायण: स्वपुरुषैर्यदसत्कृतं न: ।

स्वानामहो न विदुषां रचिताञ्जलीनां

क्षान्तिर्गरीयसि नम: पुरुषाय भूम्ने ॥ ३० ॥

tat kṣamyatāṁ sa bhagavān puruṣaḥ purāṇo

nārāyaṇaḥ sva-puruṣair yad asat kṛtaṁ naḥ

svānām aho na viduṣāṁ racitāñjalīnāṁ

kṣāntir garīyasi namaḥ puruṣāya bhūmne

Translation

[Then Yamarāja, considering himself and his servants to be offenders, spoke as follows, begging pardon from the Lord.] O my Lord, my servants have surely committed a great offense by arresting a Vaiṣṇava such as Ajāmila. O Nārāyaṇa, O supreme and oldest person, please forgive us. Because of our ignorance, we failed to recognize Ajāmila as a servant of Your Lordship, and thus we have certainly committed a great offense. Therefore with folded hands we beg Your pardon. My Lord, since You are supremely merciful and are always full of good qualities, please pardon us. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Take Responsibility and Humbly Seek Forgiveness

1
Yamarāja took responsibility for his servants’ offense in attempting to arrest Ajāmila. A master is responsible for the mistakes of his servants.
2
Although Yamarāja is above offenses, he took this responsibility seriously. He joined his servants in praying with folded hands for forgiveness.
3
Their prayer appeals to the mercy and good qualities of Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They acknowledge their ignorance and offer respectful obeisances.

Key points from the purport

Lord Yamarāja took upon himself the responsibility for the offense committed by his servants.
Although Yamarāja is above offenses, his servants, practically with his permission, went to arrest Ajāmila, which was a great offense.
Taking this seriously, Yamarāja, along with his servants, prayed with folded hands to be excused by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa.

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

Chapter 3: Yamarāja Instructs His Messengers

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

One who chants, hears or remembers the holy name of the Lord without duplicity, or who prays or offers obeisances to the Lord, becomes perfect, whereas even a learned person may be called to hell if he is bereft of devotional service.” After Yamarāja thus described the glories of the Lord and His devotees, Śukadeva Gosvāmī further explained the potency of chanting the holy name and the futility of performing Vedic ritualistic ceremonies and pious activities for atonement.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 6.3

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

tatthat
kṣamyatāmlet it be excused
saḥHe
bhagavānthe Supreme Personality of Godhead
puruṣaḥthe Supreme Person
purāṇaḥthe oldest
nārāyaṇaḥLord Nārāyaṇa
sva-puruṣaiḥby my own servants

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
Dainya · Humility
Ego yields to insight, service and surrender. · Theme in SB 6.3
In this verse: “offense”, “offenders”
Kṛpā · Divine mercy
Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 6.3
In this verse: “merciful”, “mercy”

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

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

When something goes wrong under my responsibility, do I acknowledge my part or shift the blame?

Practice

With folded hands, offer a brief prayer asking the Lord to forgive offenses you have committed through ignorance.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

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

1 lecture given on it. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

SB 6.3.30–3122 Feb 1971 · GorakhpurListen

Live this todayTake Responsibility and Humbly Seek ForgivenessThis 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 6.3.30? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

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