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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 ›
Canto 9 · Chapter 11: Lord Rāmacandra Rules the World
9.11.179.11.19

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 9.11.18

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 9.11.10inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तत ऊर्ध्वं ब्रह्मचर्यं धार्यन्नजुहोत् प्रभु: ।

त्रयोदशाब्दसाहस्रमग्निहोत्रमखण्डितम् ॥ १८ ॥

tata ūrdhvaṁ brahmacaryaṁ

dhāryann ajuhot prabhuḥ

trayodaśābda-sāhasram

agnihotram akhaṇḍitam

Translation

After mother Sītā entered the earth, Lord Rāmacandra observed complete celibacy and performed an uninterrupted Agnihotra-yajña for thirteen thousand years.

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.

Lord Rāmacandra’s Uninterrupted Sacrifice

  1. 1

    After mother Sītā entered the earth, Lord Rāmacandra observed complete celibacy.

  2. 2

    He performed the sacrifice known as Agnihotra-yajña.

  3. 3

    His performance of this sacrifice continued without interruption for thirteen thousand years.

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 11: Lord Rāmacandra Rules the World

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Upon hearing of this, Lord Rāmacandra was very much aggrieved, and thus He performed sacrifices for thirteen thousand years. After describing the pastimes of Lord Rāmacandra’s disappearance and establishing that the Lord appears for His pastimes only, Śukadeva Gosvāmī ends this chapter by describing the results of hearing about the activities of Lord Rāmacandra and by describing how the Lord protected His citizens and displayed affection for His brothers.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 9.11
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tataḥthereafter
  2. ūrdhvamafter mother Sītā’s going into the earth
  3. brahmacaryamcomplete celibacy
  4. dhārayanobserving
  5. ajuhotperformed a ritualistic ceremony and sacrifice
  6. prabhuḥLord Rāmacandra
  7. trayodaśa-abda-sāhasramfor thirteen thousand years
  8. agnihotramthe sacrifice known as Agnihotra-yajña
  9. akhaṇḍitamwithout ceasing
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

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 9.11

    In this verse: “mother”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What impresses me about the uninterrupted nature of Lord Rāmacandra’s sacrifice?

Practice

Give one uninterrupted minute to reading this account of Lord Rāmacandra’s celibacy and sacrifice.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayLord Rāmacandra’s Uninterrupted SacrificeThis 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.

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