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

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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 17: Punishment and Reward of Kali
1.17.331.17.35

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.17.34

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Kingsince 1.17.31inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

यस्मिन् हरिर्भगवानिज्यमान

इज्यात्ममूर्तिर्यजतां शं तनोति ।

कामानमोघान् स्थिरजङ्गमाना-

मन्तर्बहिर्वायुरिवैष आत्मा ॥ ३४ ॥

yasmin harir bhagavān ijyamāna

ijyātma-mūrtir yajatāṁ śaṁ tanoti

kāmān amoghān sthira-jaṅgamānām

antar bahir vāyur ivaiṣa ātmā

Translation

In all sacrificial ceremonies, although sometimes a demigod is worshiped, the Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead is worshiped because He is the Supersoul of everyone, and exists both inside and outside like the air. Thus it is He only who awards all welfare to the worshiper.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Worship the Supreme Lord Directly

  1. 1

    The Supreme Lord alone awards the welfare obtained through sacrifice. Demigods cannot act without His sanction.

  2. 2

    The Lord is the Supersoul of everyone, moving and nonmoving. He exists inside and outside all beings while remaining transcendental to material creation.

  3. 3

    The Supreme Lord is one without a second; demigods are His material representatives. A learned devotee therefore worships the Supreme Lord directly.

Key points from the purport
  • It is even sometimes seen that demigods like Indra and Candra are worshiped and offered sacrificial awards, yet the rewards of all such sacrifices are awarded to the worshiper by the Supreme Lord, and it is the Lord only who can offer all welfare to the worshiper.
  • But there are many who worship the demigods like the sun, the moon and Indra, who are only material representatives of the Supreme Lord.
  • Therefore he directly worships the Supreme Lord and is not diverted by the material, qualitative representations.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 1

The purport of SB 1.17.34 quotesBG 9.23

In Bhagavad-gītā (9.23) the Lord Himself confirms this in the following śloka: “Whatever a man may sacrifice to other gods, O son of Kuntī, is really meant for Me alone, but it is offered without true understanding.”

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

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 17: Punishment and Reward of Kali

Parīkṣit protects a cow and bull from abuse and restricts Kali to five places.

Back to this verse in chapter 1.17
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. yasminin such sacrificial ceremonies
  2. hariḥthe Supreme Lord
  3. bhagavānthe Personality of Godhead
  4. ijyamānaḥbeing worshiped
  5. ijya-ātmathe soul of all worshipable deities
  6. mūrtiḥin the forms
  7. yajatāmthose who worship
  8. śamwelfare
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Āśraya · The summum bonum

    Who is the shelter of everything? · Subject 10 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 1.17

    In this verse: “worshiped”, “devotee”, “worships”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 1.17

    In this verse: “welfare”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 1.17

    In this verse: “material”

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

Does my worship reflect an understanding that the Supreme Lord is the ultimate giver of all welfare?

Practice

Offer a brief prayer directly to the Supreme Lord, acknowledging your dependence on Him.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

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

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 1.17's connections

Live this todayWorship the Supreme Lord DirectlyThis 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 1.17.34? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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