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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 14: King Purūravā Enchanted by Urvaśī
9.14.219.14.23

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 9.14.22

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Urvaśīsince 9.14.22inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

घृतं मे वीर भक्ष्यं स्यान्नेक्षे त्वान्यत्र मैथुनात् ।

विवाससं तत् तथेति प्रतिपेदे महामना: ॥ २२ ॥

ghṛtaṁ me vīra bhakṣyaṁ syān

nekṣe tvānyatra maithunāt

vivāsasaṁ tat tatheti

pratipede mahāmanāḥ

Translation

Urvaśī said: “My dear hero, only preparations made in ghee [clarified butter] will be my eatables, and I shall not want to see you naked at any time, except at the time of sexual intercourse.” The great-minded King Purūravā accepted these proposals.

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.

Clear Conditions and Willing Agreement

  1. 1

    Urvaśī said that she would eat only preparations made in ghee, or clarified butter.

  2. 2

    She also said that she did not want to see Purūravā naked except during sexual intercourse.

  3. 3

    The great-minded King Purūravā accepted these proposals.

How it feels

Longing and conflict → Detachment and justice. Dynastic episodes explore personal desire and force.

Chapters 13–17 of Canto 9: Nimi, Purūravā and Paraśurāma. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 14: King Purūravā Enchanted by Urvaśī

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Urvaśī was captivated by Purūravā’s beauty, and therefore she lived with him for some time, but when she left his company he became almost like a madman. While traveling all over the world, he met Urvaśī again at Kurukṣetra, but she agreed to join with him for only one night in a year.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 9.14
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ghṛtamclarified butter or nectar
  2. memy
  3. vīraO hero
  4. bhakṣyameatable
  5. syātshall be
  6. nanot
  7. īkṣeI shall see
  8. tvāyou
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 9.14

    In this verse: “king”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Do I understand another person's conditions before agreeing to them?

Practice

Before making one agreement today, clearly restate what you are accepting.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayClear Conditions and Willing AgreementThis 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 9.14.22? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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