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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 ›
Canto 9 · Chapter 24: Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
9.24.569.24.58

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 9.24.57

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The sun-godsince 9.24.34inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

न ह्यस्य जन्मनो हेतु: कर्मणो वा महीपते । आत्ममायां विनेशस्य परस्य द्रष्टुरात्मन: ॥ ५७ ॥

na hy asya janmano hetuḥ

karmaṇo vā mahīpate

ātma-māyāṁ vineśasya

parasya draṣṭur ātmanaḥ

Translation

O King, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, but for the Lord’s personal desire, there is no cause for His appearance, disappearance or activities. As the Supersoul, He knows everything. Consequently there is no cause that affects Him, not even the results of fruitive activities.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa Descends Freely Out of Compassion

  1. 1

    An ordinary living being must accept a body according to past karma. The material energy awards that body under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇa is never forced to appear and is not controlled by the results of activities. Everyone is under His control, and no one can equal or surpass Him.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa descends out of merciful compassion for devotees and fallen souls. By His potency, He can deliver everyone, whether sinful or pious.

Key points from the purport
  • The body is a kind of machine created and offered to the living entity by the material energy under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
  • Therefore the living entity must accept a particular type of body awarded to him by māyā, the material energy, according to his karma.
  • For an ordinary living being, the body in which he appears is his punishment.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 3

The purport of SB 9.24.57 quotesBG 18.61

As explained in Bhagavad-gītā (18.61), yantrārūḍhāni māyayā.

The purport of SB 9.24.57 quotesBG 4.8

As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (4.8): “To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear millennium after millennium.”

The purport of SB 9.24.57 quotesBG 7.14

As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (7.14), daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā: “This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome.”

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

How it feels

Historical movement → Anticipation. The narrative narrows toward its divine center.

Chapters 20–24 of Canto 9: Lineages leading to the appearance of Kṛṣṇa. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 24: Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The king of Cedi-deśa, Damaghoṣa, married the daughter of Śūra named Śrutaśravā, from whom Śiśupāla was born. Devabhāga, through the womb of Kaṁsā, begot Citraketu and Bṛhadbala; and Devaśravā, through the womb of Kaṁsavatī, begot Suvīra and Iṣumān.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 9.24
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nanot
  2. hiindeed
  3. asyaof Him (the Supreme Personality of Godhead)
  4. janmanaḥof the appearance, or taking birth
  5. hetuḥthere is any cause
  6. karmaṇaḥor for acting
  7. vāeither
  8. mahīpateO King (Mahārāja Parīkṣit)
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Āśraya · The summum bonum

    Who is the shelter of everything? · Subject 10 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 9.24

    In this verse: “king”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 9.24

    In this verse: “devotees”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 9.24

    In this verse: “material”

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 does Kṛṣṇa’s freely given compassion affect the way you think about His appearance?

Practice

Write one sentence explaining the difference between a living being’s birth and Kṛṣṇa’s appearance.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Descends Freely Out of CompassionThis 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 9.24.57? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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