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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

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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 7 · Chapter 10: Prahlāda, the Best Among Exalted Devotees
7.10.87.10.10

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 7.10.9

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Prahlāda Mahārājasince 7.10.2inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira

विमुञ्चति यदा कामान्मानवो मनसि स्थितान् ।

तर्ह्येव पुण्डरीकाक्ष भगवत्त्वाय कल्पते ॥ ९ ॥

vimuñcati yadā kāmān

mānavo manasi sthitān

tarhy eva puṇḍarīkākṣa

bhagavattvāya kalpate

Translation

O my Lord, when a human being is able to give up all the material desires in his mind, he becomes eligible to possess wealth and opulence like Yours.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Equal Opulence, Always the Lord’s Servant

  1. 1

    Giving up all material desires makes a person eligible to possess opulence like the Lord’s. This does not mean becoming one with Him or equal to Him in position.

  2. 2

    In the spiritual world, the Lord’s servants are equally opulent while serving Him as servant, friend, father, mother or conjugal lover.

  3. 3

    The master and servant remain different yet equal in opulence. This is acintya-bhedābheda-tattva: simultaneous difference from the Supreme Lord and oneness with Him.

Key points from the purport
  • Atheistic men sometimes criticize a devotee by saying, “If you do not want to take any benediction from the Lord and if the servant of the Lord is as opulent as the Lord Himself, why do you ask for the benediction of being engaged as the Lord’s servant?”
  • The servant of the Lord is engaged in the service of the Lord as a servant, friend, father, mother or conjugal lover, all of whom are equally as opulent as the Lord.
  • This is the meaning of simultaneous difference from the Supreme Lord and oneness with Him.

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

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

Further reading

Chapter 10: Prahlāda, the Best Among Exalted Devotees

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Rather, he said that if the Lord wanted to give him a benediction, he wanted the Lord to assure him that he would never be induced to take any benedictions for the sake of material desires. Exchanges of devotional service for lusty desires are always very prominent.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 7.10
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. vimuñcatigives up
  2. yadāwhenever
  3. kāmānall material desires
  4. mānavaḥhuman society
  5. manasiwithin the mind
  6. sthitānsituated
  7. tarhiat that time only
  8. evaindeed
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 7.10

    In this verse: “wealth”, “material”

  • Vairāgya · Freedom from attachment

    Release from possessiveness and false identities. · Theme in SB 7.10

    In this verse: “give up”

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 7.10

    In this verse: “mother”, “father”

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

Am I seeking something for myself, or the opportunity to serve the Lord?

Practice

Notice one material desire today and offer a brief prayer to seek the Lord’s service instead.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayEqual Opulence, Always the Lord’s ServantThis 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 7.10.9? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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