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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 8: The Nārāyaṇa-kavaca Shield

6.8.39 6.8.41

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.8.40

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Viśvarūpasince 6.8.35inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

गगनान्न्यपतत् सद्य: सविमानो ह्यवाक् शिरा: ।

स वालिखिल्यवचनादस्थीन्यादाय विस्मित: ।

प्रास्य प्राचीसरस्वत्यां स्‍नात्वा धाम स्वमन्वगात् ॥ ४० ॥

gaganān nyapatat sadyaḥ

savimāno hy avāk-śirāḥ

sa vālikhilya-vacanād

asthīny ādāya vismitaḥ

prāsya prācī-sarasvatyāṁ

snātvā dhāma svam anvagāt

Translation

Suddenly Citraratha was forced to fall from the sky headfirst with his airplane. Struck with wonder, he was ordered by the great sages named the Vālikhilyas to throw the brāhmaṇa’s bones in the nearby river Sarasvatī. He had to do this and bathe in the river before returning to his own abode.

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.

Citraratha Followed the Sages’ Instructions

1
Citraratha suddenly fell headfirst from the sky with his airplane and was struck with wonder.
2
The great sages named the Vālikhilyas ordered him to throw the brāhmaṇa’s bones into the nearby river Sarasvatī.
3
He had to carry out their instruction and bathe in the river before returning to his own abode.

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 8: The Nārāyaṇa-kavaca Shield

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

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. After explaining this process, Śukadeva Gosvāmī told Mahārāja Parīkṣit how Viśvarūpa, the brother of Vṛtrāsura, described the glories of the Nārāyaṇa-kavaca to Indra.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 6.8