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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 13: The Behavior of a Perfect Person
7.13.197.13.21

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 7.13.20

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Nārada Munisince 7.13.20inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira

श्रीनारद उवाच

\\स इत्थं दैत्यपतिना परिपृष्टो महामुनि: ।

स्मयमानस्तमभ्याह तद्वागमृतयन्त्रित: ॥ २० ॥

śrī-nārada uvāca

sa itthaṁ daitya-patinā

paripṛṣṭo mahā-muniḥ

smayamānas tam abhyāha

tad-vāg-amṛta-yantritaḥ

Translation

Nārada Muni continued: When the saintly person was thus questioned by Prahlāda Mahārāja, the King of the Daityas, he was captivated by this shower of nectarean words, and he replied to the inquisitiveness of Prahlāda Mahārāja with a smiling face.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Gracious Words Invite a Warm Response

  1. 1

    Nārada Muni describes how Prahlāda Mahārāja, the King of the Daityas, questioned the great saintly person.

  2. 2

    The saint was captivated by Prahlāda Mahārāja’s words, which are described as a shower of nectar.

  3. 3

    The saint replied to his inquiries with a smiling face. The exchange joined sincere questioning with a warm response.

How it feels

Seriousness → Principled living. The example of bhakti becomes a guide to daily life.

Chapters 11–15 of Canto 7: Teachings on social and spiritual conduct. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 13: The Behavior of a Perfect Person

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

In this regard, Nārada Muni described a meeting between Prahlāda and a saintly person who had adopted the mode of life of a python. In this way he described the symptoms of a paramahaṁsa.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 7.13
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-nāradaḥ uvācathe great saint Nārada Muni said
  2. saḥthat saintly person (lying down)
  3. itthamin this way
  4. daitya-patināby the King of the Daityas (Prahlāda Mahārāja)
  5. paripṛṣṭaḥbeing sufficiently questioned
  6. mahā-muniḥthe great saintly person
  7. smayamānaḥsmiling
  8. tamunto him (Prahlāda Mahārāja)
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Īśānukathā · The science of God

    Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 7.13

    In this verse: “king”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 7.13

    In this verse: “inquiries”

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

Do my questions make it easier for another person to respond warmly?

Practice

Ask one genuine question today using gentle, considerate words.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayGracious Words Invite a Warm ResponseThis 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 7.13.20? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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