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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.
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Canto 9 · Chapter 10: The Pastimes of the Supreme Lord, Rāmacandra
9.10.479.10.49

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 9.10.48

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 9.10.29inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

जटा निर्मुच्य विधिवत् कुलवृद्धै: समं गुरु: ।

अभ्यषिञ्चद् यथैवेन्द्रं चतु:सिन्धुजलादिभि: ॥ ४८ ॥

jaṭā nirmucya vidhivat

kula-vṛddhaiḥ samaṁ guruḥ

abhyaṣiñcad yathaivendraṁ

catuḥ-sindhu-jalādibhiḥ

Translation

The family priest or spiritual master, Vasiṣṭha, had Lord Rāmacandra cleanly shaved, freeing Him from His matted locks of hair. Then, with the cooperation of the elderly members of the family, he performed the bathing ceremony [abhiṣeka] for Lord Rāmacandra with the water of the four seas and with other substances, just as it was performed for King Indra.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Serving the Lord Together

  1. 1

    Vasiṣṭha, the family priest or spiritual master, had Lord Rāmacandra cleanly shaved, removing His matted locks.

  2. 2

    With the cooperation of the elderly family members, Vasiṣṭha performed the Lord’s bathing ceremony, or abhiṣeka.

  3. 3

    The ceremony used water from the four seas and other substances, just as in the bathing ceremony for King Indra.

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:

Mandodarī and other wives lamented for Rāvaṇa, and in accordance with Lord Rāmacandra’s order, Vibhīṣaṇa performed the funeral ceremonies for all the dead in the family. Lord Rāmacandra then gave Vibhīṣaṇa the right to rule Laṅkā and also granted him a long duration of life.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 9.10
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. jaṭāḥthe matted locks of hair on the head
  2. nirmucyashaving clean
  3. vidhi-vataccording to regulative principles
  4. kula-vṛddhaiḥthe elderly persons in the family
  5. samamwith
  6. guruḥthe family priest or spiritual master, Vasiṣṭha
  7. abhyaṣiñcatperformed the abhiṣeka ceremony of Lord Rāmacandra
  8. yathāas
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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 9.10

    In this verse: “king”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can I cooperate with others in serving the Lord?

Practice

Offer one small piece of help to someone preparing worship of the Lord.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayServing the Lord TogetherThis 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 9.10.48? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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