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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.9.44

Who is speaking and story frame

अथो ईश जहि त्वाष्ट्रं ग्रसन्तं भुवनत्रयम् ।

ग्रस्तानि येन न: कृष्ण तेजांस्यस्त्रायुधानि च ॥ ४४ ॥

atho īśa jahi tvāṣṭraṁ

grasantaṁ bhuvana-trayam

grastāni yena naḥ kṛṣṇa

tejāṁsy astrāyudhāni ca

Translation

Therefore, O Lord, O supreme controller, O Lord Kṛṣṇa, please annihilate this dangerous demon Vṛtrāsura, Tvaṣṭā’s son, who has already swallowed all our weapons, our paraphernalia for fighting, and our strength and influence.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Surrender Beyond Material Desires

  1. 1

    Devotees who approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead with material motives are not yet pure devotees. Still, they may give up those desires and become pure.

  2. 2

    When utterly helpless, the demigods approach the Lord in grief and prayer. They admit that extensive material opportunities made them forget pure devotional service.

  3. 3

    Full surrender means leaving the Lord free to protect us or annihilate us as He desires. Such surrender is necessary.

Key points from the purport
  • The four classes of neophyte devotees who approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead to offer devotional service because of material motives are not pure devotees, but the advantage for such materialistic devotees is that they sometimes give up their material desires and become pure.
  • When the demigods are utterly helpless, they approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead in grief and with tears in their eyes, praying to the Lord, and thus they become almost pure devotees, free from material desires.
  • Admitting that they have forgotten pure devotional service because of extensive material opportunities, they fully surrender to the Lord, leaving to His consideration whether to maintain them or annihilate them.

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 6.9.44 quotesBG 7.15

The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (7.15-16):

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 9: Appearance of the Demon Vṛtrāsura

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

While performing the sacrifice to kill Indra, Tvaṣṭā chanted a mantra to increase Indra’s enemies, but because he chanted the mantra wrong, the sacrifice produced an asura named Vṛtrāsura, of whom Indra was the enemy. When Vṛtrāsura was generated from the sacrifice, his fierce features made the whole world afraid, and his personal effulgence diminished even the power of the demigods.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.9
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. athotherefore
  2. īśaO supreme controller
  3. jahikill
  4. tvāṣṭramthe demon Vṛtrāsura, son of Tvaṣṭā
  5. grasantamwho is devouring
  6. bhuvana-trayamthe three worlds
  7. grastānidevoured
  8. yenaby whom
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 6.9

    In this verse: “devotional service”, “devotees”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 6.9

    In this verse: “dangerous”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 6.9

    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

Can I seek the Lord’s shelter without insisting on a particular outcome?

Practice

Offer one prayer entrusting the outcome of a present difficulty to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySurrender Beyond Material DesiresThis 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 6.9.44? Get an answer from the verses themselves.