Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.26.59
Sarga· CreationVeins and Rivers in the Universal Body
“The veins of the universal body became manifested and thereafter the red corpuscles, or blood. In their wake came the rivers (the deities presiding over the veins), and then appeared an abdomen.”
What the purport teaches
- The veins of the universal body appeared, followed by blood, the rivers, and then an abdomen.
- The purport compares blood veins to rivers. When veins appeared in the universal form, rivers also appeared on the various planets.
- The controlling deity of rivers also controls the nervous system. The purport describes bathing in a flowing river as a traditional Āyurvedic recommendation for nervous instability.
Try this today
Write down the comparison between veins and rivers, and spend a moment reflecting on their place in the universal body.
Ask yourself
What does the comparison between veins and rivers help me notice about the universal form?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.