1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

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

Or browse by canto and chapter

Canto

Canto 9 · Liberation · 24 chapters

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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 15: Paraśurāma, the Lord’s Warrior Incarnation

9.15.28 9.15.30

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 9.15.29

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 9.15.17-19inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तमापतन्तं भृगुवर्यमोजसा

धनुर्धरं बाणपरश्वधायुधम् ।

ऐणेयचर्माम्बरमर्कधामभि-

र्युतं जटाभिर्दद‍ृशे पुरीं विशन् ॥ २९ ॥

tam āpatantaṁ bhṛgu-varyam ojasā

dhanur-dharaṁ bāṇa-paraśvadhāyudham

aiṇeya-carmāmbaram arka-dhāmabhir

yutaṁ jaṭābhir dadṛśe purīṁ viśan

Translation

As King Kārtavīryārjuna entered his capital, Māhiṣmatī Purī, he saw Lord Paraśurāma, the best of the Bhṛgu dynasty, coming after him, holding a chopper, shield, bow and arrows. Lord Paraśurāma was covered with a black deerskin, and his matted locks of hair appeared like the sunshine.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord Comes Into View

1
As Kārtavīryārjuna entered Māhiṣmatī Purī, he saw Lord Paraśurāma coming after him.
2
Lord Paraśurāma is described as the best of the Bhṛgu dynasty. He carried a chopper, shield, bow and arrows.
3
He wore a black deerskin, and his matted locks appeared like sunshine. These details give a vivid description of his appearance.

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 15: Paraśurāma, the Lord’s Warrior Incarnation

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

When a king named Kārtavīryārjuna stole Jamadagni’s desire cow, Paraśurāma, who is ascertained by learned experts to be a saktyāveśa incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, killed Kārtavīryārjuna. Later, he annihilated the kṣatriya dynasty twenty-one times.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 9.15

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

tamthat Lord Paraśurāma
āpatantamcoming after him
bhṛgu-varyamthe best of the Bhṛgu dynasty, Lord Paraśurāma
ojasāvery fiercely
dhanuḥ-dharamcarrying a bow
bāṇaarrows
paraśvadhachopper
āyudhamhaving all these weapons

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 9.15
In this verse: “king”

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

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Which detail of Lord Paraśurāma’s appearance stands out to you most?

Practice

Spend one minute recalling the Lord’s appearance using only the details in this translation.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Bhṛgu MuniSB 10.89 · Bhṛgu’s test and the brāhmaṇa’s sonsThe chapter identifies tolerance as a sure sign of greatness and establishes Lord Viṣṇu’s supremacy. Arjuna’s unsuccessful search also shows the limits of even an extraordinary warrior’s independent power.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 9.15's connections

Live this todayThe Lord Comes Into ViewThis 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 9.15.29? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories