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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 4: Ambarīṣa Mahārāja Offended by Durvāsā Muni

9.4.4-5 9.4.7

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 9.4.6

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Nābhāga’s fathersince 9.4.4-5inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तं कश्चित् स्वीकरिष्यन्तं पुरुष: कृष्णदर्शन: ।

उवाचोत्तरतोऽभ्येत्य ममेदं वास्तुकं वसु ॥ ६ ॥

taṁ kaścit svīkariṣyantaṁ

puruṣaḥ kṛṣṇa-darśanaḥ

uvācottarato ’bhyetya

mamedaṁ vāstukaṁ vasu

Translation

Thereafter, while Nābhāga was accepting the riches, a black-looking person from the north came to him and said, “All the wealth from this sacrificial arena belongs to me.”

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.

A Claim to Wealth Is Challenged

1
Nābhāga was accepting the riches from the sacrifice.
2
A black-looking person approached him from the north.
3
The person declared that all the wealth from the sacrificial arena belonged to him, bringing its ownership into question.

How it feels

Peril and anger → Faith and mercy. The contrast between pride and steadiness becomes clear.

Chapters 4–5 of Canto 9: Ambarīṣa's devotion and Durvāsā's anger. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Chapter 4: Ambarīṣa Mahārāja Offended by Durvāsā Muni

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

When Nābhāga returned home, his brothers bestowed upon him their father as his share, but when Nābhāga went to his father and told him about the dealings of the brothers, his father informed him that this was cheating and advised him that for his livelihood he should go to the sacrificial arena and describe two mantras to be chanted there.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 9.4

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

tamunto Nābhāga
kaścitsomeone
svīkariṣyantamwhile accepting the riches given by the great sages
puruṣaḥa person
kṛṣṇa-darśanaḥblack-looking
uvācasaid
uttarataḥfrom the north
abhyetyacoming

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
Moha · Material attachment
The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 9.4
In this verse: “wealth”

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How would I respond if someone challenged my claim to something?

Practice

Before taking something whose ownership is unclear, pause and check whose it is.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayA Claim to Wealth Is ChallengedThis 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 9.4.6? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

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