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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
6.8.236.8.25

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.8.24

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

गदेऽशनिस्पर्शनविस्फुलिङ्गे

निष्पिण्ढि निष्पिण्ढ्यजितप्रियासि ।

कुष्माण्डवैनायकयक्षरक्षो-

भूतग्रहांश्चूर्णय चूर्णयारीन् ॥ २४ ॥

gade ’śani-sparśana-visphuliṅge

niṣpiṇḍhi niṣpiṇḍhy ajita-priyāsi

kuṣmāṇḍa-vaināyaka-yakṣa-rakṣo-

bhūta-grahāṁś cūrṇaya cūrṇayārīn

Translation

O club in the hand of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you produce sparks of fire as powerful as thunderbolts, and you are extremely dear to the Lord. I am also His servant. Therefore kindly help me pound to pieces the evil living beings known as Kuṣmāṇḍas, Vaināyakas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Bhūtas and Grahas. Please pulverize them.

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.

Pray as a Servant of the Lord

  1. 1

    The club in the hand of the Supreme Personality of Godhead produces sparks of fire as powerful as thunderbolts.

  2. 2

    The club is extremely dear to the Lord. The person praying appeals for help by declaring, “I am also His servant.”

  3. 3

    The prayer asks the club to destroy the evil beings named Kuṣmāṇḍas, Vaināyakas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Bhūtas and Grahas.

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 should think of Madhusūdana, Tridhāmā, Mādhava, Hṛṣīkeśa, Padmanābha, Janārdana, Dāmodara and Viśveśvara, as well as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa Himself. After offering prayers to the Lord’s personal expansions known as the svāṁśa and śaktyāveśa-avatāras, one should pray to the weapons of Lord Nārāyaṇa, such as the Sudarśana, gadā, śaṅkha, khaḍga and bow.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.8
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. gadeO club in the hands of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
  2. aśanilike thunderbolts
  3. sparśanawhose touch
  4. visphuliṅgegiving off sparks of fire
  5. niṣpiṇḍhi niṣpiṇḍhipound to pieces, pound to pieces
  6. ajita-priyāvery dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead
  7. asiyou are
  8. kuṣmāṇḍaimps named Kuṣmāṇḍas
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

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 6.8

    In this verse: “kindly”

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

What does it mean for me to approach the Lord as His servant?

Practice

Offer a brief prayer today beginning with the words, “I am Your servant.”

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayPray as a Servant of the LordThis 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 6.8.24? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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