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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 7: Indra Offends His Spiritual Master, Bṛhaspati.

6.7.27 6.7.29-30

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.7.28

Manvantara· The Manus and right duty

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:The demigodssince 6.7.27inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

पुत्राणां हि परो धर्म: पितृशुश्रूषणं सताम् ।

अपि पुत्रवतां ब्रह्मन् किमुत ब्रह्मचारिणाम् ॥ २८ ॥

putrāṇāṁ hi paro dharmaḥ

pitṛ-śuśrūṣaṇaṁ satām

api putravatāṁ brahman

kim uta brahmacāriṇām

Translation

O brāhmaṇa, the highest duty of a son, even though he has sons of his own, is to serve his parents, and what to speak of a son who is a brahmacārī?

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Serving Parents Remains a Duty

1
The demigods describe service to parents as the highest duty of a son.
2
Having children of his own does not remove a son’s responsibility to serve his parents.
3
They emphasize that this duty applies all the more to a son who is a brahmacārī.

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

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 summary Back to this verse in chapter 6.7

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

putrāṇāmof sons
hiindeed
paraḥsuperior
dharmaḥreligious principle
pitṛ-śuśrūṣaṇamthe service of the parents
satāmgood
apieven
putra-vatāmof those who have sons

Key ideas in this verse

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

Manvantara · The change of Manus
What gives human life its right direction? · Subject 6 of 10
Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct
Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 6.7
In this verse: “duty”
Vātsalya · Parental affection
Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 6.7
In this verse: “children”

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

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Do my own responsibilities make me forget the needs of my parents?

Practice

If possible, offer your parents one small act of practical help today.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayServing Parents Remains a DutyThis 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 6.7.28? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

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