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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 1 · Creation · 19 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 1 · Chapter 16: How Parīkṣit Received the Age of Kali
1.16.311.16.34

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 1.16.32-33

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Sūta Gosvāmīsince 1.16.10inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

ब्रह्मादयो बहुतिथं यदपाङ्गमोक्ष-

कामास्तप: समचरन् भगवत्प्रपन्ना: ।

सा श्री: स्ववासमरविन्दवनं विहाय

यत्पादसौभगमलं भजतेऽनुरक्ता ॥ ३२ ॥

तस्याहमब्जकुलिशाङ्‍कुशकेतुकेतै:

श्रीमत्पदैर्भगवत: समलङ्‍कृताङ्गी ।

त्रीनत्यरोच उपलभ्य ततो विभूतिं

लोकान् स मां व्यसृजदुत्स्मयतीं तदन्ते ॥ ३३ ॥

brahmādayo bahu-tithaṁ yad-apāṅga-mokṣa-

kāmās tapaḥ samacaran bhagavat-prapannāḥ

sā śrīḥ sva-vāsam aravinda-vanaṁ vihāya

yat-pāda-saubhagam alaṁ bhajate ’nuraktā

tasyāham abja-kuliśāṅkuśa-ketu-ketaiḥ

śrīmat-padair bhagavataḥ samalaṅkṛtāṅgī

trīn atyaroca upalabhya tato vibhūtiṁ

lokān sa māṁ vyasṛjad utsmayatīṁ tad-ante

Translation

Lakṣmījī, the goddess of fortune, whose glance of grace was sought by demigods like Brahmā and for whom they surrendered many a day unto the Personality of Godhead, gave up her own abode in the forest of lotus flowers and engaged herself in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord. I was endowed with specific powers to supersede the fortune of all the three planetary systems by being decorated with the impressions of the flag, thunderbolt, elephant-driving rod and lotus flower, which are signs of the lotus feet of the Lord. But at the end, when I felt I was so fortunate, the Lord left me.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Remain Connected Through the Lord’s Holy Name

  1. 1

    Lakṣmījī chose service to the Lord’s lotus feet, and the earth became especially fortunate through their impressions. The world’s beauty and opulence depend on the Lord’s grace, not merely on human planning.

  2. 2

    The omnipresent Lord can always be with us through devotional service, including hearing, chanting and remembering. We need not detain Him physically to remain connected with Him.

  3. 3

    The Lord and His holy name are identical. Chanting His name without offenses frees us from Kali’s contamination and gradually leads us back to Godhead.

Key points from the purport
  • When the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth, the impressions of the special signs of His lotus feet were stamped on the dust, and as a result of this specific grace, the whole earth was made as perfect as possible.
  • The holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself are identical, and one who chants the holy name of the Lord in an offenseless manner can at once realize that the Lord is present before him.
  • Only by the propagation of the chanting of the holy name of the Lord can we be immune from all effects of the Age of Kali.

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

Moral alarm → Resolve. The king's duty is tested in a deteriorating age.

Chapters 16–17 of Canto 1: Parīkṣit confronts Kali. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 16: How Parīkṣit Received the Age of Kali

Parīkṣit rules as a devotee while the personality of religion and mother earth discuss their distress.

Back to this verse in chapter 1.16
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. brahma-ādayaḥdemigods such as Brahmā
  2. bahu-tithamfor many days
  3. yatof Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune
  4. apāṅga-mokṣaglance of grace
  5. kāmāḥbeing desirous of
  6. tapaḥpenances
  7. samacaranexecuting
  8. bhagavatunto the Personality of Godhead
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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

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 1.16

    In this verse: “chanting”, “hearing”, “holy name”

  • Vairāgya · Freedom from attachment

    Release from possessiveness and false identities. · Theme in SB 1.16

    In this verse: “gave up”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 1.16

    In this verse: “grace”

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 I make hearing and chanting a more attentive part of my connection with the Lord?

Practice

Set aside two quiet minutes today to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa attentively and respectfully.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRemain Connected Through the Lord’s Holy NameThis 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 1.16.32-33? Get an answer from the verses themselves.