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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.

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Canto 7 · Chapter 15: Instructions for Civilized Human Beings

7.15.28 7.15.30

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 7.15.29

Mukti· Liberation

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Nārada Munisince 7.15.1inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira

यथा वार्तादयो ह्यर्था योगस्यार्थं न बिभ्रति ।

अनर्थाय भवेयु: स्म पूर्तमिष्टं तथासत: ॥ २९ ॥

yathā vārtādayo hy arthā

yogasyārthaṁ na bibhrati

anarthāya bhaveyuḥ sma

pūrtam iṣṭaṁ tathāsataḥ

Translation

As professional activities or business profits cannot help one in spiritual advancement but are a source of material entanglement, the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies cannot help anyone who is not a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Material Wealth Is Not Spiritual Advancement

1
Becoming rich through professional work, trade or agriculture does not mean becoming spiritually advanced. The purpose of life is to become spiritually rich.
2
Material engagements can attract one to unnecessary necessities and bring the risk of a degraded future birth. Material prosperity alone does not fulfill the human mission.
3
Ritualistic ceremonies cannot help someone who lacks devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A show of religion without Kṛṣṇa consciousness may bring popularity but does not fulfill life’s goal.

Key points from the purport

If one becomes very rich through his professional activities, through trade or through agriculture, this does not mean that he is spiritually advanced.
Although the purpose of life is to become spiritually rich, unfortunate men, misguided as they are, are always engaged in trying to become materially rich.
Making a show of religion without Kṛṣṇa consciousness may make one popular in the estimation of unintelligent men, but factually such a materialistic display of spiritual advancement does not help one at all; it will not prevent one from missing the goal of life.

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 7.15.29 quotesBG 14.18

As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (14.18): “Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.”

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

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

Chapter 15: Instructions for Civilized Human Beings

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Such a devotee, even though not performing ritualistic ceremonies, advances in spiritual consciousness by the supreme will of the Personality of Godhead. One may actually become successful in spiritual consciousness by the mercy of devotees, or one may fall from spiritual consciousness by being disrespectful to devotees.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 7.15

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

yathāas
vārtā-ādayaḥactivities like occupational or professional duties
hicertainly
arthāḥincome (from such occupational duties)
yogasyaof mystic power for self-realization
arthambenefit
nanot
bibhratihelp

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
Bhakti · Devotion and loving service
How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 7.15
In this verse: “devotee”, “devotion”
Moha · Material attachment
The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 7.15
In this verse: “material”
Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct
Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 7.15
In this verse: “religion”

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

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Am I measuring progress by material success or by devotion?

Practice

Identify one unnecessary necessity you are pursuing and set aside that pursuit today to give attention to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayMaterial Wealth Is Not Spiritual AdvancementThis 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.

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