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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
  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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 9.15.39

Who is speaking and story frame

वयं हि ब्राह्मणास्तात क्षमयार्हणतां गता: ।

यया लोकगुरुर्देव: पारमेष्ठ्यमगात् पदम् ॥ ३९ ॥

vayaṁ hi brāhmaṇās tāta

kṣamayārhaṇatāṁ gatāḥ

yayā loka-gurur devaḥ

pārameṣṭhyam agāt padam

Translation

My dear son, we are all brāhmaṇas and have become worshipable for the people in general because of our quality of forgiveness. It is because of this quality that Lord Brahmā, the supreme spiritual master of this universe, has achieved his post.

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.

Forgiveness Makes Brāhmaṇas Worthy of Honor

  1. 1

    Jamadagni explained that forgiveness had made them, as brāhmaṇas, worshipable to people in general.

  2. 2

    He identified forgiveness as a quality that brings spiritual honor.

  3. 3

    Lord Brahmā, the supreme spiritual master of this universe, achieved his post because of this quality.

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 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 summaryBack to this verse in chapter 9.15
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. vayamwe
  2. hiindeed
  3. brāhmaṇāḥare qualified brāhmaṇas
  4. tātaO my dear son
  5. kṣamayāwith the quality of forgiveness
  6. arhaṇatāmthe position of being worshiped
  7. gatāḥwe have achieved
  8. yayāby this qualification
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Manvantara · The change of Manus

    What gives human life its right direction? · Subject 6 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 9.15

    In this verse: “worshipable”

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

How much do I value forgiveness in myself and others?

Practice

Choose one small offense you have been holding onto, and make a deliberate effort to forgive it.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayForgiveness Makes Brāhmaṇas Worthy of HonorThis 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 9.15.39? Get an answer from the verses themselves.