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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 7: Indra Offends His Spiritual Master, Bṛhaspati.
6.7.216.7.23

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.7.22

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Brahmāsince 6.7.21inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तस्यायमनयस्यासीत् परेभ्यो व: पराभव: ।

प्रक्षीणेभ्य: स्ववैरिभ्य: समृद्धानां च यत्सुरा: ॥ २२ ॥

tasyāyam anayasyāsīt

parebhyo vaḥ parābhavaḥ

prakṣīṇebhyaḥ sva-vairibhyaḥ

samṛddhānāṁ ca yat surāḥ

Translation

Because of your misbehavior toward Bṛhaspati, you have been defeated by the demons. My dear demigods, since the demons were weak, having been defeated by you several times, how else could you, who were so advanced in opulence, be defeated by them?

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Disrespect Undermines Material Strength

  1. 1

    Although the demigods were materially opulent, they were defeated by enemies they had previously overcome.

  2. 2

    Their impudent disrespect toward their spiritual master was the cause of their defeat.

  3. 3

    The śāstras state that disrespecting a respectable superior reduces one’s longevity and destroys the results of pious activities, leading to degradation.

Key points from the purport
  • The devas are celebrated for fighting with the asuras perpetually.
  • In such fights the asuras were always defeated, but this time the demigods were defeated.
  • Their impudent disrespect of their spiritual master was the cause of their defeat by the demons.

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

Offense and dread → Moral reckoning. Heroic power does not guarantee inner freedom.

Chapters 7–10 of Canto 6: Indra, Bṛhaspati and the emergence of Vṛtrāsura. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 7: Indra Offends His Spiritual Master, Bṛhaspati.

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Indra lost all his opulence and was conquered by the demons, who defeated the demigods in a great fight and occupied Indra’s throne. King Indra, along with the other demigods, later took shelter of Lord Brahmā.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.7
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tasyathat
  2. ayamthis
  3. anayasyaof your ungrateful activity
  4. āsītwas
  5. parebhyaḥby others
  6. vaḥof all of you
  7. parābhavaḥthe defeat
  8. prakṣīṇebhyaḥalthough they were weak
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 6.7

    In this verse: “materially”

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

Do I ever rely on my advantages while neglecting respect for those who guide me?

Practice

Review one recent interaction with a respected superior and identify any disrespect you need to correct.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDisrespect Undermines Material StrengthThis 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 6.7.22? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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