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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 5: Prahlāda Mahārāja, the Saintly Son of Hiraṇyakaśipu
7.5.317.5.33

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 7.5.32

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Prahlāda Mahārājasince 7.5.30inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira

नैषां मतिस्तावदुरुक्रमाङ्‌घ्रिं

स्पृशत्यनर्थापगमो यदर्थ: ।

महीयसां पादरजोऽभिषेकं

निष्किञ्चनानां न वृणीत यावत् ॥ ३२ ॥

naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ

spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ

mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-’bhiṣekaṁ

niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat

Translation

Unless they smear upon their bodies the dust of the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava completely freed from material contamination, persons very much inclined toward materialistic life cannot be attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, who is glorified for His uncommon activities. Only by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious and taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord in this way can one be freed from material contamination.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Take Shelter of a Pure Devotee

  1. 1

    Becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious brings the disappearance of unwanted miseries. Materialistic education instead increases attachment to material life.

  2. 2

    Academic learning, eloquent lectures and scientific intelligence alone cannot reveal Kṛṣṇa. Understanding Him requires His grace and shelter under a fully Kṛṣṇa conscious spiritual master.

  3. 3

    A realized devotee’s only interest is service to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Taking shelter of such a devotee is the way back to Godhead.

Key points from the purport
  • Unless one takes shelter of a bona fide, fully Kṛṣṇa conscious spiritual master, there is no chance of understanding Kṛṣṇa.
  • And to become Kṛṣṇa conscious very easily, one must take shelter of a realized soul — a mahat, or mahātmā — whose only interest is to engage in the service of the Supreme Lord.
  • Therefore, to end the unwanted miseries of life, one must become a devotee.

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· 5

The purport of SB 7.5.32 quotesBG 9.13

As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (9.13): “O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature.

The purport of SB 7.5.32 quotesSB 5.18.12

“One who has unflinching devotional faith in Kṛṣṇa consistently manifests all the good qualities of Kṛṣṇa and the demigods.”

Quoted in the purport ofSB 4.21.43

Prahlāda Mahārāja also said, naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim: unless one takes the dust of the lotus feet of a pure Vaiṣṇava on one’s head, one cannot understand what the Supreme Personality of Godhead is, and unless one knows the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one’s life remains imperfect.

Quoted in the purport ofSB 4.22.22

niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat. One should take shelter of a pure devotee, who has nothing to do with this material world but is simply engaged in devotional service.

Quoted in the purport ofSB 4.24.76

As confirmed by Prahlāda Mahārāja, mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-’bhiṣekaṁ niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat: “Unless one accepts the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee, who is free from all material contamination, one cannot enter into the devotional service of the Lord.”

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

Threat → Steady faith. A vulnerable child remains inwardly unshaken.

Chapters 5–7 of Canto 7: Prahlāda refuses to abandon his devotion. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 5: Prahlāda Mahārāja, the Saintly Son of Hiraṇyakaśipu

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Prahlāda Mahārāja replied that those who are attached to family life do not develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, either personally or collectively. Instead, they suffer repeated birth and death in this material world and continue simply chewing the chewed.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 7.5
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nanot
  2. eṣāmof these
  3. matiḥthe consciousness
  4. tāvatthat long
  5. urukrama-aṅghrimthe lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is famous for performing uncommon activities
  6. spṛśatidoes touch
  7. anarthaof unwanted things
  8. apagamaḥthe disappearance
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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 7.5

    In this verse: “attached”, “material”, “attachment”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 7.5

    In this verse: “shelter”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 7.5

    In this verse: “glorified”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Am I willing to receive spiritual guidance humbly rather than depend only on my own learning?

Practice

Read a short instruction from a self-realized spiritual master and identify one way to apply it today.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

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Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.

1 lecture given on it · quoted in 15 more lectures. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Quoted in 15 other lectures

In each of these he quotes this verse while speaking on another verse or subject. "Find the quote" opens the transcript at that spot.

Live this todayTake Shelter of a Pure DevoteeOne of the 108 chosen lessons: a practice and a question from this verse

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 7.5.32? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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