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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 11: Lord Rāmacandra Rules the World
9.11.239.11.25

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 9.11.24

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:King Parīkṣitsince 9.11.24inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीराजोवाच

कथं स भगवान् रामो भ्रातृन् वा स्वयमात्मन: ।

तस्मिन् वा तेऽन्ववर्तन्त प्रजा: पौराश्च ईश्वरे ॥ २४ ॥

śrī-rājovāca

kathaṁ sa bhagavān rāmo

bhrātṝn vā svayam ātmanaḥ

tasmin vā te ’nvavartanta

prajāḥ paurāś ca īśvare

Translation

Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī: How did the Lord conduct Himself, and how did He behave in relationship with His brothers, who were expansions of His own self? And how did His brothers and the inhabitants of Ayodhyā treat Him?

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.

Inquire About the Lord’s Personal Relationships

  1. 1

    Mahārāja Parīkṣit asks Śukadeva Gosvāmī how Lord Rāmacandra conducted Himself.

  2. 2

    He wants to understand the Lord’s dealings with His brothers, who were expansions of His own self.

  3. 3

    He also asks how the Lord’s brothers and the inhabitants of Ayodhyā treated Him. His inquiry gives attention to both the Lord’s conduct and their response.

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. śrī-rājā uvācaMahārāja Parīkṣit inquired
  2. kathamhow
  3. saḥHe, the Lord
  4. bhagavānthe Supreme Personality of Godhead
  5. rāmaḥLord Rāmacandra
  6. bhrātṝnunto the brothers (Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna)
  7. vāeither
  8. svayampersonally
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 9.11

    In this verse: “inquired”, “inquiry”, “understand”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What would I like to understand about Lord Rāmacandra’s dealings with those around Him?

Practice

Write down one question about the Lord’s conduct to keep in mind as you continue reading.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayInquire About the Lord’s Personal RelationshipsThis 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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