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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 8: The Nārāyaṇa-kavaca Shield
6.8.156.8.17

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.8.16

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Viśvarūpasince 6.8.4-6inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

मामुग्रधर्मादखिलात्प्रमादा-

न्नारायण: पातु नरश्च हासात् ।

दत्तस्त्वयोगादथ योगनाथ:

पायाद्गुणेश: कपिल: कर्मबन्धात् ॥ १६ ॥

mām ugra-dharmād akhilāt pramādān

nārāyaṇaḥ pātu naraś ca hāsāt

dattas tv ayogād atha yoga-nāthaḥ

pāyād guṇeśaḥ kapilaḥ karma-bandhāt

Translation

May Lord Nārāyaṇa protect me from unnecessarily following false religious systems and falling from my duties due to madness. May the Lord in His appearance as Nara protect me from unnecessary pride. May Lord Dattātreya, the master of all mystic power, protect me from falling while performing bhakti-yoga, and may Lord Kapila, the master of all good qualities, protect me from the material bondage of fruitive activities.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

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

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Seek Protection for Steady Devotional Service

  1. 1

    The prayer asks Lord Nārāyaṇa for protection from false religious systems and from madness that leads one to neglect duties.

  2. 2

    Lord Nara is asked to protect against unnecessary pride. Lord Dattātreya, the master of all mystic power, is asked to protect one from falling while performing bhakti-yoga.

  3. 3

    Lord Kapila, the master of all good qualities, is asked to protect against the material bondage of fruitive activities.

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 8: The Nārāyaṇa-kavaca Shield

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

One also has to think of the fish incarnation, Vāmana, Kūrma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Paraśurāma, Rāmacandra (the elder brother of Lakṣmaṇa), Nara-Nārāyaṇa, Dattātreya (an empowered incarnation), Kapila, Sanat-kumāra, Hayagrīva, Nāradadeva (the incarnation of a devotee), Dhanvantari, Ṛṣabhadeva, Yajña, Balarāma, Vyāsadeva, Buddhadeva and Keśava. One should also think of Govinda, the master of Vṛndāvana, and one should think of Nārāyaṇa, the master of the spiritual sky.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.8
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. māmme
  2. ugra-dharmātfrom unnecessary religious principles
  3. akhilātfrom all kinds of activities
  4. pramādātwhich are enacted in madness
  5. nārāyaṇaḥLord Nārāyaṇa
  6. pātumay He protect
  7. naraḥ caand Nara
  8. hāsātfrom unnecessary pride
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

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 6.8

    In this verse: “religious”, “duties”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 6.8

    In this verse: “protect”, “protection”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 6.8

    In this verse: “material”

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

Which needs more attention in my devotional life: duty, humility, or steadiness?

Practice

Offer a short prayer to Lord Dattātreya for steadiness in bhakti-yoga.

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 6.8's connections

Live this todaySeek Protection for Steady Devotional ServiceThis 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 6.8.16? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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