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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 9 · Liberation · 24 chapters

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How to study this verse, in six steps

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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 14: King Purūravā Enchanted by Urvaśī

9.14.36 9.14.38

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 9.14.37

Ūti· What drives us to act

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Urvaśīsince 9.14.36inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

स्त्रियो ह्यकरुणा: क्रूरा दुर्मर्षा: प्रियसाहसा: ।

घ्नन्त्यल्पार्थेऽपि विश्रब्धं पतिं भ्रातरमप्युत ॥ ३७ ॥

striyo hy akaruṇāḥ krūrā

durmarṣāḥ priya-sāhasāḥ

ghnanty alpārthe ’pi viśrabdhaṁ

patiṁ bhrātaram apy uta

Translation

Women as a class are merciless and cunning. They cannot tolerate even a slight offense. For their own pleasure they can do anything irreligious, and therefore they do not fear killing even a faithful husband or brother.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Do Not Waste Precious Human Life

1
Purūravā was greatly attached to Urvaśī, although she had left him despite his faithfulness.
2
The purport explains that Urvaśī considered the King to be wasting his rarely achieved human form of life. Her severe description of women was meant to confront his attachment.
3
The purport stresses training women to be chaste and faithful to their husbands as necessary for peace and prosperity in society.

Key points from the purport

Because of her nature, a woman can respond to even a slight offense from her husband by not only leaving him but even killing him if required.
To say nothing of her husband, she can even kill her brother.
Therefore, in the material world, unless women are trained to be chaste and faithful to their husbands, there cannot be peace or prosperity in society.

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

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

Chapter 14: King Purūravā Enchanted by Urvaśī

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Purūravā made two sticks from this tree and thus produced a fire. By such a fire one can satisfy all lusty desires.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 9.14

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

striyaḥwomen
hiindeed
akaruṇāḥmerciless
krūrāḥcunning
durmarṣāḥintolerant
priya-sāhasāḥfor their own pleasure they can do anything
ghnantithey kill
alpa-arthefor a slight reason

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
Abhaya · Fearlessness
Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 9.14
In this verse: “fear”
Dainya · Humility
Ego yields to insight, service and surrender. · Theme in SB 9.14
In this verse: “offense”
Moha · Material attachment
The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 9.14
In this verse: “attached”

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

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Is an attachment consuming time that you could use more meaningfully?

Practice

Identify one attachment that wastes your time, and spend five fewer minutes dwelling on it today.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDo Not Waste Precious Human LifeThis 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 9.14.37? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

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