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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 8 · Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations · 24 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 8 · Chapter 9: The Lord Incarnates as Mohinī-Mūrti
8.9.38.9.5

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.9.4

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.9.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

न वयं त्वामरैर्दैत्यै: सिद्धगन्धर्वचारणै: ।

नास्पृष्टपूर्वां जानीमो लोकेशैश्च कुतो नृभि: ॥ ४ ॥

na vayaṁ tvāmarair daityaiḥ

siddha-gandharva-cāraṇaiḥ

nāspṛṣṭa-pūrvāṁ jānīmo

lokeśaiś ca kuto nṛbhiḥ

Translation

What to speak of human beings, even the demigods, demons, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Cāraṇas and the various directors of the universe, the Prajāpatis, have never touched You before. It is not that we are unable to understand Your identity.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Respect Another's Wife as Your Mother

  1. 1

    Even the demons observed the etiquette that no one should address a married woman with lust.

  2. 2

    Cāṇakya Paṇḍita teaches that one should consider another's wife to be one's mother.

  3. 3

    The demons assumed that Mohinī-mūrti was unmarried and had come to find a husband among those present.

Key points from the purport
  • Even the asuras observed the etiquette that no one should address a married woman with lust.
  • Therefore they assumed that no one in the world, including the demigods, the Gandharvas, the Cāraṇas and the Siddhas, had ever touched Her.
  • The demons knew that the young girl was unmarried, and therefore they dared to address Her.

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

Danger and ambition → Divine rescue and surprise. Cooperation, rivalry and revelation alternate rapidly.

Chapters 5–12 of Canto 8: Churning the ocean, poison and nectar. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 9: The Lord Incarnates as Mohinī-Mūrti

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

All the demons became captivated by the young woman’s beauty and became attached to Her. Now, because the demons were fighting among themselves to possess the nectar, they selected this beautiful woman as a mediator to settle their quarrel.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.9
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nait is not
  2. vayamwe
  3. tvāunto You
  4. amaraiḥby the demigods
  5. daityaiḥby the demons
  6. siddhaby the Siddhas
  7. gandharvaby the Gandharvas
  8. cāraṇaiḥand by the Cāraṇas
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

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 8.9

    In this verse: “understand”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 8.9

    In this verse: “lust”

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 8.9

    In this verse: “mother”

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

How can I make my dealings with others more respectful and free from lust?

Practice

In your dealings today, consciously honor another person's marriage through respectful words and conduct.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRespect Another's Wife as Your MotherThis 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 8.9.4? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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