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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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Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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
10.2.2710.2.29

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.2.28

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

त्वमेक एवास्य सत: प्रसूति-स्त्वं सन्निधानं त्वमनुग्रहश्च । त्वन्मायया संवृतचेतसस्त्वांपश्यन्ति नाना न विपश्चितो ये ॥ २८ ॥

tvam eka evāsya sataḥ prasūtis

tvaṁ sannidhānaṁ tvam anugrahaś ca

tvan-māyayā saṁvṛta-cetasas tvāṁ

paśyanti nānā na vipaścito ye

Translation

The efficient cause of this material world, manifested with its many varieties as the original tree, is You, O Lord. You are also the maintainer of this material world, and after annihilation You are the one in whom everything is conserved. Those who are covered by Your external energy cannot see You behind this manifestation, but theirs is not the vision of learned devotees.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

See the Lord in Every Condition

  1. 1

    The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the source and maintainer of the material world, and everything rests in Him after annihilation. He manifests the world's varieties through His different energies.

  2. 2

    Learned devotees recognize the Lord's presence even in distress. They regard their difficulties as His favor, purifying them of material contamination and helping free them from repeated birth and death.

  3. 3

    There is no need to worship various demigods for separate purposes. Surrendering to Kṛṣṇa and concentrating on worshiping Him should be the guiding principle of one's life.

Key points from the purport
  • Various demigods, beginning from Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and even Viṣṇu, are supposed to be the creator, maintainer and annihilator of this material world, but actually they are not.
  • When a devotee is in distress, he sees that the Lord has appeared as distress just to relieve or purify the devotee from the contamination of the material world.
  • While one is within this material world, one is in various conditions, and therefore a devotee sees a condition of distress as but another feature of the Lord.

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· 3

The purport of SB 10.2.28 quotesSB 10.14.8

Tat te ’nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇaḥ. A devotee, therefore, regards distress as a great favor of the Lord because he understands that he is being cleansed of contamination.

The purport of SB 10.2.28 quotesBG 12.7

Teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt. The appearance of distress is a negative process intended to give the devotee relief from this material world, which is called mṛtyu-saṁsāra, or the constant repetition of birth and death.

The purport of SB 10.2.28 quotesBG 9.23

As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (9.23): “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

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 prayers of the demigods glorify and exalt devotees and explain the fate of persons who superficially consider themselves liberated from the conditions of material nature. A devotee is always safe.
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. tvamYou (O Lord)
  2. ekaḥbeing one without a second, You are everything
  3. evaindeed
  4. asya sataḥof this cosmic manifestation now visible
  5. prasūtiḥthe original source
  6. tvamYour Lordship
  7. sannidhānamthe conservation of all such energy when everything is annihilated
  8. tvamYour Lordship
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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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “devotees”, “worship”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.2

    In this verse: “material”

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 10.2

    In this verse: “purifying”, “contamination”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How might a difficulty become an occasion to turn toward the Lord rather than away from Him?

Practice

During one difficulty today, pause and offer a prayer asking to remain focused on worshiping Kṛṣṇa.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

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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 todaySee the Lord in Every ConditionThis 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 10.2.28? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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