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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 9: Appearance of the Demon Vṛtrāsura
6.9.66.9.8

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 6.9.7

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 6.9.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

भूमिस्तुरीयं जग्राह खातपूरवरेण

वै ।

ईरिणं

ब्रह्महत्याया रूपं भूमौ प्रद‍ृश्यते ॥ ७ ॥

bhūmis turīyaṁ jagrāha

khāta-pūra-vareṇa vai

īriṇaṁ brahma-hatyāyā

rūpaṁ bhūmau pradṛśyate

Translation

In return for King Indra’s benediction that ditches in the earth would be filled automatically, the land accepted one fourth of the sinful reactions for killing a brāhmaṇa. Because of those sinful reactions, we find many deserts on the surface of the earth.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Earth Accepts a Sinful Burden

  1. 1

    The earth accepted one fourth of the sinful reactions for killing a brāhmaṇa. In return, Indra granted that ditches would fill automatically.

  2. 2

    The translation describes deserts as manifestations of those reactions. The purport calls them the earth’s diseased condition.

  3. 3

    The purport states that auspicious ritualistic ceremonies cannot be performed in deserts. It also understands those destined to live there as sharing the reactions of brahma-hatyā, the killing of a brāhmaṇa.

Key points from the purport
  • Because deserts are manifestations of the earth’s diseased condition, no auspicious ritualistic ceremony can be performed in a desert.
  • Persons destined to live in deserts are understood to be sharing the reactions for the sin of brahma-hatyā, the killing of a brāhmaṇa.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

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:

Although competent to neutralize the sinful reactions for killing a brāhmaṇa, Indra did not do so. Instead he accepted the reactions.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 6.9
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. bhūmiḥthe earth
  2. turīyamone fourth
  3. jagrāhaaccepted
  4. khāta-pūraof the filling of holes
  5. vareṇabecause of the benediction
  6. vaiindeed
  7. īriṇamthe deserts
  8. brahma-hatyāyāḥof the reaction for killing a brāhmaṇa
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 6.9

    In this verse: “king”

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 6.9

    In this verse: “sinful”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 6.9

    In this verse: “understands”

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

How does this account emphasize the seriousness of killing a brāhmaṇa?

Practice

Write one sentence identifying the earth’s benediction and the burden it accepted.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Earth Accepts a Sinful BurdenThis 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 6.9.7? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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