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

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Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 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 10 · Chapter 2: Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Womb
10.2.2510.2.27

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.2.26

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The demigodssince 10.2.26inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

सत्यव्रतं सत्यपरं त्रिसत्यंसत्यस्य योनिं निहितं च सत्ये । सत्यस्य सत्यमृतसत्यनेत्रंसत्यात्मकं त्वां शरणं प्रपन्ना: ॥ २६ ॥

satya-vrataṁ satya-paraṁ tri-satyaṁ

satyasya yoniṁ nihitaṁ ca satye

satyasya satyam ṛta-satya-netraṁ

satyātmakaṁ tvāṁ śaraṇaṁ prapannāḥ

Translation

The demigods prayed: O Lord, You never deviate from Your vow, which is always perfect because whatever You decide is perfectly correct and cannot be stopped by anyone. Being present in the three phases of cosmic manifestation — creation, maintenance and annihilation — You are the Supreme Truth. Indeed, unless one is completely truthful, one cannot achieve Your favor, which therefore cannot be achieved by hypocrites. You are the active principle, the real truth, in all the ingredients of creation, and therefore You are known as antaryāmī, the inner force. You are equal to everyone, and Your instructions apply for everyone, for all time. You are the beginning of all truth. Therefore, offering our obeisances, we surrender unto You. Kindly give us protection.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Surrender to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Truth

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the Absolute Truth before creation, during its maintenance and after its annihilation. All relative truths come from Him.

  2. 2

    Bhakti, devotional service, is the only way to understand the Absolute Truth. The eternal living entity should seek eternal happiness, not temporary benefits.

  3. 3

    The Lord never deviates from His vow to protect those who sincerely surrender to Him. The demigods therefore seek His protection, approaching Him truthfully and without hypocrisy.

Key points from the purport
  • The demigods give information that the Supreme Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa.
  • If there is any truth within this material world, it emanates from the Supreme Truth, Kṛṣṇa.
  • All incarnations are the Absolute Truth, yet the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all incarnations.

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· 5

The purport of SB 10.2.26 quotesBG 18.55

The Supreme Truth can be approached or understood by the supreme method, as declared by the Supreme Truth: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ.

The purport of SB 10.2.26 quotesBG 7.23

There are persons who worship various demigods, but the Supreme Truth, Kṛṣṇa, declares in Bhagavad-gītā (7.23), antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām: “Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary.”

The purport of SB 10.2.26 quotesSB 7.9.19

tāvad vibho tanu-bhṛtāṁ tvad-upekṣitānām. If neglected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a child, despite the presence of his parents, will suffer, and a diseased person, despite all medical help, will die.

The purport of SB 10.2.26 quotesBG 9.22

The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (9.22): “For those who worship Me with devotion, meditating on My transcendental form, I carry to them what they lack and preserve what they have.”

The purport of SB 10.2.26 quotesBG 9.31

The devotees have no anxiety over what will happen next, where they will stay or what they will eat, for everything is maintained and supplied by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has promised, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati: “O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.”

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

Terror → Wonder and relief. The threat of destruction yields to divine appearance.

Chapters 1–4 of Canto 10: Threat from Kaṁsa and Kṛṣṇa's birth. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 2: Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Womb

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, they said, is eternally the Absolute Truth. The spiritual soul is more important than the gross body, and the Supersoul, Paramātmā, is still more important than the soul.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.2
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. satya-vratamthe Personality of Godhead, who never deviates from His vow*
  2. satya-paramwho is the Absolute Truth (as stated in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi)
  3. tri-satyamHe is always present as the Absolute Truth, before the creation of this cosmic manifestation, during its maintenance, and even after its annihilation
  4. satyasyaof all relative truths, which are emanations from the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa
  5. yonimthe cause
  6. nihitamentered*
  7. caand
  8. satyein the factors that create this material world (namely, the five elements — earth, water, fire, air and ether)
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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

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 10.2

    In this verse: “protection”, “protect”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 10.2

    In this verse: “devotional service”, “bhakti”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 10.2

    In this verse: “favor”

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 my surrender to Kṛṣṇa more sincere rather than merely outward?

Practice

Take a quiet moment today to offer a sincere prayer to Kṛṣṇa, asking for His protection and help in devotional service.

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.

Quoted in 2 lectures. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Quoted in 2 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.

7

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 10.2's connections

Live this todaySurrender to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme TruthThis 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 10.2.26? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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