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

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Canto 9 · Liberation · 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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 9.10.22

Who is speaking and story frame

रामस्तमाह पुरुषादपुरीष यन्न:

कान्तासमक्षमसतापहृता श्ववत् ते ।

त्यक्तत्रपस्य फलमद्य जुगुप्सितस्य

यच्छामि काल इव कर्तुरलङ्‍घ्यवीर्य: ॥ २२ ॥

rāmas tam āha puruṣāda-purīṣa yan naḥ

kāntāsamakṣam asatāpahṛtā śvavat te

tyakta-trapasya phalam adya jugupsitasya

yacchāmi kāla iva kartur alaṅghya-vīryaḥ

Translation

Lord Rāmacandra said to Rāvaṇa: You are the most abominable of the man-eaters. Indeed, you are like their stool. You resemble a dog, for as a dog steals eatables from the kitchen in the absence of the householder, in My absence you kidnapped My wife, Sītādevī. Therefore as Yamarāja punishes sinful men, I shall also punish you. You are most abominable, sinful and shameless. Today, therefore, I, whose attempt never fails, shall punish you.

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

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Religion Means Following the Lord’s Orders

  1. 1

    No one can surpass the strength of the Supreme Lord. Lord Rāmacandra declared that His attempt to punish Rāvaṇa would not fail.

  2. 2

    Rāvaṇa acted as though there were no supreme ruler or controller. Kidnapping mother Sītā, the pleasure potency of Rāmacandra, brought him ruin.

  3. 3

    Religion consists of the orders of the Supreme Lord. Carrying out His orders is religious, while disregarding them brings punishment.

Key points from the purport
  • The Rākṣasas are unaware that the Supreme Lord is the ruler of the creation.
  • Therefore the Rākṣasas act independently, as they like, going even so far as to kidnap the goddess of fortune.
  • Nonetheless, because atheists are Rākṣasas, they dare to do things that are most abominable, and thus they are punished without fail.

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

Exile and separation → Loyalty and reunion. Duty, loss and sacrifice shape the dramatic center of this canto.

Chapters 10–12 of Canto 9: The pastimes of Lord Rāmacandra. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 10: The Pastimes of the Supreme Lord, Rāmacandra

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

When Mārīca assumed the form of a golden deer, Lord Rāmacandra went to bring the deer to please Sītādevī, but in the meantime Rāvaṇa took advantage of the Lord’s absence to kidnap her. When Sītādevī was kidnapped, Lord Rāmacandra, accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa, searched for her throughout the forest.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 9.10
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. rāmaḥLord Rāmacandra
  2. tamunto him, Rāvaṇa
  3. āhasaid
  4. puruṣa-ada-purīṣayou are the stool of the man-eaters (Rākṣasas)
  5. yatbecause
  6. naḥMy
  7. kāntāwife
  8. asamakṣamhelpless because of My absence
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Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 9.10

    In this verse: “absence”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 9.10

    In this verse: “householder”

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 9.10

    In this verse: “sinful”

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Where do I act as though I am independent of the Supreme Lord?

Practice

Before one decision today, pause and consider whether it respects the Lord’s authority.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayReligion Means Following the Lord’s OrdersThis 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 9.10.22? Get an answer from the verses themselves.