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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
9.11.259.11.27

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 9.11.26

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 9.11.25inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

आसिक्तमार्गां गन्धोदै: करिणां मदशीकरै: ।

स्वामिनं प्राप्तमालोक्य मत्तां वा सुतरामिव ॥ २६ ॥

āsikta-mārgāṁ gandhodaiḥ

kariṇāṁ mada-śīkaraiḥ

svāminaṁ prāptam ālokya

mattāṁ vā sutarām iva

Translation

During the reign of Lord Rāmacandra, the streets of the capital, Ayodhyā, were sprinkled with perfumed water and drops of perfumed liquor, thrown about by elephants from their trunks. When the citizens saw the Lord personally supervising the affairs of the city in such opulence, they appreciated this opulence very much.

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

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord Rules With Care and Responsibility

  1. 1

    Ayodhyā’s streets were cleaned and sprinkled by elephants with perfumed water and drops of perfumed liquor. This gives one example of the opulence of Lord Rāmacandra’s kingdom.

  2. 2

    The Lord personally supervised the affairs of the state; He was not an inactive monarch. He gave the citizens facilities for peaceful life and treated them as His sons.

  3. 3

    The citizens were trained in the varṇāśrama system and were obedient and well ordered. The purport connects their happiness with both the King’s care and their own responsible conduct.

Key points from the purport
  • We have simply heard about the opulence of Rāma-rājya during the reign of Lord Rāmacandra.
  • The streets of Ayodhyā were not only cleaned but also sprinkled with perfumed water and drops of perfumed liquor, which were distributed by elephants through their trunks.
  • We can understand the opulence of the city from this one example: it was actually sprinkled with perfumed water.

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 11: Lord Rāmacandra Rules the World

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Śatrughna killed a demon named Lavaṇa at Madhuvana and thus established the capital of Mathurā. Meanwhile, Sītādevī placed her two sons in the care of Vālmīki Muni and then entered into the earth.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 9.11
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. āsikta-mārgāmthe streets were sprinkled
  2. gandha-udaiḥwith perfumed water
  3. kariṇāmof elephants
  4. mada-śīkaraiḥwith particles of perfumed liquor
  5. svāminamthe master or proprietor
  6. prāptampresent
  7. ālokyaseeing personally
  8. mattāmvery opulent
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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 9.11

    In this verse: “citizens”, “kingdom”

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 9.11

    In this verse: “varṇāśrama”

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can I carry out my responsibilities with greater care for those affected by them?

Practice

Attend carefully to one neglected responsibility today, remembering Lord Rāmacandra’s personal attention to His citizens.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord Rules With Care and ResponsibilityThis 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 9.11.26? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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