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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 2: Divinity and Divine Service
1.2.331.3.1

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 1.2.34

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Sūta Gosvāmīsince 1.2.2inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

भावयत्येष सत्त्वेन लोकान् वै लोकभावन: ।

लीलावतारानुरतो देवतिर्यङ्‍नरादिषु ॥ ३४ ॥

bhāvayaty eṣa sattvena

lokān vai loka-bhāvanaḥ

līlāvatārānurato

deva-tiryaṅ-narādiṣu

Translation

Thus the Lord of the universes maintains all planets inhabited by demigods, men and lower animals. Assuming the roles of incarnations, He performs pastimes to reclaim those in the mode of pure goodness.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord Calls Us Back to Godhead

  1. 1

    The Lord maintains the inhabited planets and manifests His pastimes in different living societies. He does this to awaken the desire to go back to Godhead.

  2. 2

    He may appear personally or empower a suitable living being to act for Him. His purpose remains the same: to bring suffering living beings back home, back to Godhead.

  3. 3

    The eternal happiness living beings seek cannot be found anywhere in the material universes. It is obtainable in the kingdom of God, whose message the Lord and His bona fide representatives bring.

Key points from the purport
  • There are innumerable material universes, and in each and every universe there are innumerable planets inhabited by different grades of living entities in different modes of nature.
  • Sometimes He incarnates Himself or empowers a suitable living being to act for Him, but in either case the purpose is the same: the Lord wants the suffering living beings to go back home, back to Godhead.
  • The happiness which the living beings are hankering for is not to be found within any corner of the innumerable universes and material planets.

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

Concern → Purpose. A spiritually urgent question emerges for the age of Kali.

Chapters 1–3 of Canto 1: The sages ask the ultimate questions. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 2: Divinity and Divine Service

Sūta explains how hearing about Kṛṣṇa and rendering devotional service purify the heart.

Back to this verse in chapter 1.2
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. bhāvayatimaintains
  2. eṣaḥall these
  3. sattvenain the mode of goodness
  4. lokānall over the universe
  5. vaigenerally
  6. loka-bhāvanaḥthe master of all the universes
  7. līlāpastimes
  8. avatāraincarnation
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 1.2

    In this verse: “material”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 1.2

    In this verse: “suffering”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 1.2

    In this verse: “kingdom”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Where am I looking for lasting happiness, and how does this teaching redirect that search?

Practice

Take one minute today to reflect on the Lord's desire for you to return to His kingdom and find eternal happiness.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.

1 lecture given on it · quoted in 3 more lectures. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Quoted in 3 other lectures

In each of these he quotes this verse while speaking on another verse or subject. "Find the quote" opens the transcript at that spot.

Live this todayThe Lord Calls Us Back to GodheadThis 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 1.2.34? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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