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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 9.24.67

Who is speaking and story frame

पृथ्व्या: स वै गुरुभरं क्षपयन् कुरूणा-मन्त:समुत्थकलिना युधि भूपचम्व: । द‍ृष्टय‍ा विधूय विजये जयमुद्विघोष्यप्रोच्योद्धवाय च परं समगात् स्वधाम ॥ ६७ ॥

येऽन्येऽरविन्दाक्ष विमुक्तमानिन-स्त्वय्यस्तभावादविशुद्धबुद्धय: । आरुह्य कृच्छ्रेण परं पदं तत:पतन्त्यधोऽनाद‍ृतयुष्मदङ्‌घ्रय: ॥

pṛthvyāḥ sa vai guru-bharaṁ kṣapayan kurūṇām

antaḥ-samuttha-kalinā yudhi bhūpa-camvaḥ

dṛṣṭyā vidhūya vijaye jayam udvighoṣya

procyoddhavāya ca paraṁ samagāt sva-dhāma

Translation

Thereafter, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa created a misunderstanding between family members just to diminish the burden of the world. Simply by His glance, He annihilated all the demoniac kings on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra and declared victory for Arjuna. Finally, He instructed Uddhava about transcendental life and devotion and then returned to His abode in His original form.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Learn Knowledge, Detachment and Devotional Service

  1. 1

    By Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, Arjuna was victorious because he was a great devotee. Those killed by the Lord’s glance were cleansed of sinful activities and attained sārūpya.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇa instructed Uddhava about the transcendental life of devotional service. After completing His mission, He returned to His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, in His original form.

  3. 3

    The Lord’s instructions in Bhagavad-gītā are full of knowledge and renunciation. Human life is meant for learning detachment from the material world and acquiring full spiritual knowledge, with devotional service as the goal.

Key points from the purport
  • The mission of Lord Kṛṣṇa was performed on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, for by the Lord’s mercy Arjuna was victorious due to being a great devotee whereas the others were killed simply by the Lord’s glance, which cleansed them of all sinful activities and enabled them to attain sārūpya.
  • Finally, Lord Kṛṣṇa instructed Uddhava about the transcendental life of devotional service, and then, in due course of time, He returned to His abode.
  • In the human form of life, one must learn these two things — how to become detached from the material world and how to acquire full knowledge in spiritual life.

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

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:

Vasudeva had many other sons by his other wives, and the eighth son to appear from the womb of Devakī was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who delivered the entire world from the burden of demons. This chapter ends by glorifying the Supreme Personality of Godhead Vāsudeva.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 9.24
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. pṛthvyāḥon the earth
  2. saḥHe (Lord Kṛṣṇa)
  3. vaiindeed
  4. guru-bharama great burden
  5. kṣapayancompletely finishing
  6. kurūṇāmof the personalities born in the Kuru dynasty
  7. antaḥ-samuttha-kalināby creating enmity between the brothers by disagreement
  8. yudhiin the Battle of Kurukṣetra
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Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Nirodha · Returning home, back to Godhead

    What happens when everything here comes to an end? · Subject 8 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “devotion”, “devotional service”, “devotee”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 9.24

    In this verse: “kings”

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 9.24

    In this verse: “cleansed”, “sinful”

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 can my pursuit of spiritual knowledge help me become less attached to material life and more devoted to Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Set aside one optional material distraction today and use those few minutes to reread this passage about knowledge, detachment and devotional service.

5

Connected stories

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

Live this todayLearn Knowledge, Detachment and Devotional ServiceThis 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 9.24.67? Get an answer from the verses themselves.