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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 9: Prahlāda Pacifies Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva with Prayers
7.9.137.9.15

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 7.9.14

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Prahlāda Mahārājasince 7.9.9inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira

तद्यच्छ मन्युमसुरश्च हतस्त्वयाद्य

मोदेत साधुरपि वृश्चिकसर्पहत्या ।

लोकाश्च निर्वृतिमिता: प्रतियन्ति सर्वे

रूपं नृसिंह विभयाय जना: स्मरन्ति ॥ १४ ॥

tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayādya

modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā

lokāś ca nirvṛtim itāḥ pratiyanti sarve

rūpaṁ nṛsiṁha vibhayāya janāḥ smaranti

Translation

My Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, please, therefore, cease Your anger now that my father, the great demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, has been killed. Since even saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of a scorpion or a snake, all the worlds have achieved great satisfaction because of the death of this demon. Now they are confident of their happiness, and they will always remember Your auspicious incarnation in order to be free from fear.

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

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Remember Nṛsiṁhadeva for Freedom from Fear

  1. 1

    Saintly persons never desire the killing of any living entity. Yet the purport explains their relief at the death of Hiraṇyakaśipu, who was worse than a snake or scorpion.

  2. 2

    With Hiraṇyakaśipu killed, the worlds felt satisfaction and confidence in their happiness. Prahlāda therefore asked Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva to cease His anger.

  3. 3

    Devotees can remember Nṛsiṁhadeva’s form when they are in danger. His appearance is worshipable and auspicious, not inauspicious.

Key points from the purport
  • The most important point in this verse is that although saintly persons never desire the killing of any living entity, they take pleasure in the killing of envious living entities like snakes and scorpions.
  • Hiraṇyakaśipu was killed because he was worse than a snake or a scorpion, and therefore everyone was happy.
  • The devotees can always remember the form of Nṛsiṁhadeva when they are in danger, and therefore the appearance of Nṛsiṁhadeva was not at all inauspicious.

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 9: Prahlāda Pacifies Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva with Prayers

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

As related in this chapter, Prahlāda Mahārāja, following the order of Lord Brahmā, pacified the Lord when the Lord was extremely angry after having killed Hiraṇyakaśipu. After Hiraṇyakaśipu was killed, the Lord continued to be very angry, and the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā, could not pacify Him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 7.9
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tattherefore
  2. yacchakindly give up
  3. manyumYour anger
  4. asuraḥmy father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, the great demon
  5. caalso
  6. hataḥkilled
  7. tvayāby You
  8. adyatoday
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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

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 7.9

    In this verse: “fear”, “death”, “danger”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 7.9

    In this verse: “devotees”, “worshipable”

  • Vairāgya · Freedom from attachment

    Release from possessiveness and false identities. · Theme in SB 7.9

    In this verse: “free from”

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How might remembering Nṛsiṁhadeva help you turn fear toward devotion?

Practice

Take a quiet moment today to remember Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva’s auspicious form and offer Him a prayer.

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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.

2 lectures given on it · quoted in 7 more lectures. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Quoted in 7 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.

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Connected stories

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

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 7.9's connections

Live this todayRemember Nṛsiṁhadeva for Freedom from FearThis 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 7.9.14? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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