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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 7 · The Science of God · 15 chapters

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

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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 7 · Chapter 10: Prahlāda, the Best Among Exalted Devotees

7.10.64 7.10.67

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 7.10.65-66

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Nārada Munisince 7.10.65-66inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira

अथासौ शक्तिभि: स्वाभि: शम्भो: प्राधानिकं व्यधात् ।

धर्मज्ञानविरक्त्यृद्धितपोविद्याक्रियादिभि: ॥ ६५ ॥

रथं सूतं ध्वजं वाहान्धनुर्वर्मशरादि यत् ।

सन्नद्धो रथमास्थाय शरं धनुरुपाददे ॥ ६६ ॥

athāsau śaktibhiḥ svābhiḥ

śambhoḥ prādhānikaṁ vyadhāt

dharma-jñāna-virakty-ṛddhi-

tapo-vidyā-kriyādibhiḥ

rathaṁ sūtaṁ dhvajaṁ vāhān

dhanur varma-śarādi yat

sannaddho ratham āsthāya

śaraṁ dhanur upādade

Translation

Nārada Muni continued: Thereafter, Lord Kṛṣṇa, by His own personal potency, consisting of religion, knowledge, renunciation, opulence, austerity, education and activities, equipped Lord Śiva with all the necessary paraphernalia, such as a chariot, a charioteer, a flag, horses, elephants, a bow, a shield and arrows. When Lord Śiva was fully equipped in this way, he sat down on the chariot with his arrows and bow to fight with the demons.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa Supports Those Who Serve Him Sincerely

1
Lord Śiva is the best of the Vaiṣṇavas, the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa. He is also one of the twelve authorities on Vaiṣṇava philosophy.
2
Although very powerful, Lord Śiva had become disappointed after losing a battle to the demons. Kṛṣṇa personally equipped him with everything needed to fight.
3
The devotee must serve the Lord sincerely, and Kṛṣṇa remains in the background to protect and equip him. For devotees spreading the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, there is no scarcity of knowledge or material requisites.

Key points from the purport

As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.13.16): vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ: Lord Śiva is the best of the Vaiṣṇavas, the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Lord Kṛṣṇa is always prepared to help all the mahājanas and devotees in every respect (kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati).
The devotee, therefore, must serve the Lord sincerely, and Kṛṣṇa is always in the background to protect him and, if need be, to equip him fully to fight with his enemy.

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 7.10.65-66 quotesSB 12.13.16

As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.13.16): vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ: Lord Śiva is the best of the Vaiṣṇavas, the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

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

Terror and divine fury → Protection and compassion. The crisis resolves through relationship rather than domination.

Chapters 8–10 of Canto 7: Nṛsiṁhadeva appears; Prahlāda pacifies Him. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Chapter 10: Prahlāda, the Best Among Exalted Devotees

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Later, Nārada Muni described how the demon Maya Dānava constructed Tripura for the demons, who became very powerful and defeated the demigods. Because of this defeat, Lord Rudra, Śiva, dismantled Tripura; thus he became famous as Tripurāri.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 7.10

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

athathereafter
asauHe (Lord Kṛṣṇa)
śaktibhiḥby His potencies
svābhiḥpersonal
śambhoḥof Lord Śiva
prādhānikamingredients
vyadhātcreated
dharmareligion

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
Jñāna · Spiritual insight
Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 7.10
In this verse: “knowledge”, “philosophy”
Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct
Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 7.10
In this verse: “religion”
Bhakti · Devotion and loving service
How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 7.10
In this verse: “devotees”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can I focus more on sincere service rather than feeling discouraged by what I lack?

Practice

Spend five minutes today on a sincere act of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, using what is already available to you.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

The purport quotesSB 12.13.16

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 7.10's connections

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Supports Those Who Serve Him SincerelyThis 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 7.10.65-66? Get an answer from the verses themselves.