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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.
6.7.386.7.40

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.7.39

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 6.7.38inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

सुरद्विषां श्रियं गुप्तामौशनस्यापि विद्यया ।

आच्छिद्यादान्महेन्द्राय वैष्णव्या विद्यया विभु: ॥ ३९ ॥

sura-dviṣāṁ śriyaṁ guptām

auśanasyāpi vidyayā

ācchidyādān mahendrāya

vaiṣṇavyā vidyayā vibhuḥ

Translation

The opulence of the demons, who are generally known as the enemies of the demigods, was protected by the talents and tactics of Śukrācārya, but Viśvarūpa, who was most powerful, composed a protective prayer known as the Nārāyaṇa-kavaca. By this intelligent mantra, he took away the opulence of the demons and gave it to Mahendra, the King of heaven.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Supreme Lord Protects His Devotees

  1. 1

    Although Śukrācārya’s talents and tactics protected the demons’ opulence, Viśvarūpa composed the protective prayer Nārāyaṇa-kavaca. Through this mantra, he took their opulence and gave it to Mahendra.

  2. 2

    The purport distinguishes the demigods as devotees of Lord Viṣṇu and the demons as opponents of His devotees, the Vaiṣṇavas. Viśvarūpa provided the demigods with a protective covering saturated with a Viṣṇu mantra.

  3. 3

    The Supreme Personality of Godhead always awards His benediction to devotees. In Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord assures His devotee: “My devotee never perishes.”

Key points from the purport
  • The distinction between the demigods (devas) and demons (asuras) is that the demigods are all devotees of Lord Viṣṇu whereas the demons are devotees of demigods like Lord Śiva, Goddess Kālī and Goddess Durgā.
  • The demigods are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu (viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smṛto daiva), whereas the demons (āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ) are always against the viṣṇu-bhaktas, or Vaiṣṇavas.
  • To oppose the Vaiṣṇavas, the demons become devotees of Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, Kālī, Durgā, and so on.

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· 1

The purport of SB 6.7.39 quotesBG 9.31

The Lord Himself confirms this in Bhagavad-gītā (9.31): “O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.”

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

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:

King Indra, along with the other demigods, later took shelter of Lord Brahmā. Understanding the situation, Lord Brahmā chastised the demigods for their offense to their spiritual master.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.7
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. sura-dviṣāmof the enemies of the demigods
  2. śriyamthe opulence
  3. guptāmprotected
  4. auśanasyaof Śukrācārya
  5. apialthough
  6. vidyayāby the talents
  7. ācchidyacollecting
  8. adātdelivered
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 6.7

    In this verse: “king”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 6.7

    In this verse: “protected”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 6.7

    In this verse: “devotees”

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

How can the Lord’s assurance of protection strengthen my devotion to Him?

Practice

Spend a quiet minute reflecting on “My devotee never perishes,” and offer a prayer to Lord Viṣṇu.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

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 6.7's connections

Live this todayThe Supreme Lord Protects His DevoteesThis 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 6.7.39? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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