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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
6.8.246.8.26

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.8.25

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

त्वं यातुधानप्रमथप्रेतमातृ-

पिशाचविप्रग्रहघोरद‍ृष्टीन् ।

दरेन्द्र विद्रावय कृष्णपूरितो

भीमस्वनोऽरेर्हृदयानि कम्पयन् ॥ २५ ॥

tvaṁ yātudhāna-pramatha-preta-mātṛ-

piśāca-vipragraha-ghora-dṛṣṭīn

darendra vidrāvaya kṛṣṇa-pūrito

bhīma-svano ’rer hṛdayāni kampayan

Translation

O best of conchshells, O Pāñcajanya in the hands of the Lord, you are always filled with the breath of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore you create a fearful sound vibration that causes trembling in the hearts of enemies like the Rākṣasas, pramatha ghosts, Pretas, Mātās, Piśācas and brāhmaṇa ghosts with fearful eyes.

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.

Kṛṣṇa’s Conchshell Makes Enemies Tremble

  1. 1

    Pāñcajanya is addressed as the best of conchshells and rests in the hands of the Lord.

  2. 2

    It is always filled with the breath of Lord Kṛṣṇa and produces a fearful sound vibration.

  3. 3

    Its sound makes the hearts of enemies tremble, including Rākṣasas, pramatha ghosts, Pretas, Mātās, Piśācas and brāhmaṇa ghosts with fearful eyes.

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 must progressively place the syllables of the mantra on the heart, the head, between the two eyebrows, on the śikhā and between the eyes, and then one should chant maḥ astrāya phaṭ and with this mantra protect himself from all directions. Nādevo devam arcayet: one who has not risen to the level of a deva cannot chant this mantra.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.8
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tvamyou
  2. yātudhānaRākṣasas
  3. pramathaPramathas
  4. pretaPretas
  5. mātṛMātās
  6. piśācaPiśācas
  7. vipra-grahabrāhmaṇa ghosts
  8. ghora-dṛṣṭīnwho have very fearful eyes
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

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 6.8

    In this verse: “fearful”

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 stands out to me about Pāñcajanya’s close connection with Lord Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Read the translation aloud once, pausing to remember Pāñcajanya filled with Lord Kṛṣṇa’s breath.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa’s Conchshell Makes Enemies TrembleThis 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 6.8.25? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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