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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 9.5.28

Who is speaking and story frame

अम्बरीषस्यचरितं येश‍ृण्वन्तिमहात्मन: ।

मुक्तिं प्रयान्तितेसर्वेभक्त्याविष्णो: प्रसादत: ॥ २८ ॥

ambarīṣasya caritaṁ

ye śṛṇvanti mahātmanaḥ

muktiṁ prayānti te sarve

bhaktyā viṣṇoḥ prasādataḥ

Translation

By the grace of the Lord, those who hear about the activities of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, the great devotee, certainly become liberated or become devotees without delay.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Hear With Trust in the Lord's Grace

  1. 1

    Hearing about the activities of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, the great devotee, brings spiritual benefit.

  2. 2

    Those who hear certainly become liberated or become devotees without delay.

  3. 3

    These results come by the grace of the Lord.

Key points from the purport
  • Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Ninth Canto, Fifth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Durvāsā Muni’s Life Spared.”

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

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

Further reading

Chapter 5: Durvāsā Muni’s Life Spared

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

After this incident, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa gave Durvāsā Muni sumptuous food to eat, and then the King, who had been standing in the same place for one year without eating anything, also took prasāda. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa later divided his property among his sons and went to the bank of the Mānasa-sarovara to execute devotional meditation.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 9.5
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ambarīṣasyaof Mahārāja Ambarīṣa
  2. caritamcharacter
  3. yepersons who
  4. śṛṇvantihear
  5. mahā-ātmanaḥof the great personality, the great devotee
  6. muktimliberation
  7. prayānticertainly they attain
  8. tesuch persons
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Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 9.5

    In this verse: “devotee”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 9.5

    In this verse: “grace”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 9.5

    In this verse: “hearing”

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can I hear about this great devotee with greater attention and trust in the Lord's grace?

Practice

Listen attentively today as someone reads a short passage about Mahārāja Ambarīṣa's activities.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayHear With Trust in the Lord's GraceThis 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 9.5.28? Get an answer from the verses themselves.