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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
9.11.359.12.1

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 9.11.36

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

बुभुजे च यथाकालं कामान् धर्ममपीडयन् ।

वर्षपूगान् बहून् नृणामभिध्याताङ्‌घ्रिपल्लव: ॥ ३६ ॥

bubhuje ca yathā-kālaṁ

kāmān dharmam apīḍayan

varṣa-pūgān bahūn nṝṇām

abhidhyātāṅghri-pallavaḥ

Translation

Without transgressing the religious principles, Lord Rāmacandra, whose lotus feet are worshiped by devotees in meditation, enjoyed with all the paraphernalia of transcendental pleasure for as long as needed.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Enjoyment Without Transgressing Religious Principles

  1. 1

    Lord Rāmacandra enjoyed without transgressing religious principles. His enjoyment did not violate them.

  2. 2

    Devotees worship His lotus feet in meditation. Their meditation is an act of devotion to Him.

  3. 3

    The Lord enjoyed with all the paraphernalia of transcendental pleasure. He continued for as long as needed.

Key points from the purport
  • Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Ninth Canto, Eleventh Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Lord Rāmacandra Rules the World.”

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:

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. bubhujeHe enjoyed
  2. caalso
  3. yathā-kālamas long as required
  4. kāmānall enjoyment
  5. dharmamreligious principles
  6. apīḍayanwithout transgressing
  7. varṣa-pūgānduration of years
  8. bahūnmany
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 9.11

    In this verse: “devotees”, “worshiped”, “devotion”

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

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

    In this verse: “religious”, “principles”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can I keep religious principles and devotion to the Lord central when choosing my enjoyments?

Practice

Set aside one minute today to meditate on Lord Rāmacandra’s lotus feet in a spirit of worship.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayEnjoyment Without Transgressing Religious PrinciplesThis 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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