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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
10.2.3310.2.35

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.2.34

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The demigodssince 10.2.26inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

सत्त्वं विशुद्धं श्रयते भवान् स्थितौ

शरीरिणां श्रेयउपायनं वपु: ।

वेदक्रियायोगतप:समाधिभि-

स्तवार्हणं येन जन: समीहते ॥ ३४ ॥

sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ śrayate bhavān sthitau

śarīriṇāṁ śreya-upāyanaṁ vapuḥ

veda-kriyā-yoga-tapaḥ-samādhibhis

tavārhaṇaṁ yena janaḥ samīhate

Translation

O Lord, during the time of maintenance You manifest several incarnations, all with transcendental bodies, beyond the material modes of nature. When You appear in this way, You bestow all good fortune upon the living entities by teaching them to perform Vedic activities such as ritualistic ceremonies, mystic yoga, austerities, penances, and ultimately samādhi, ecstatic absorption in thoughts of You. Thus You are worshiped by the Vedic principles.

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

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Make Your Duties Worship of the Lord

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears in a transcendental body beyond the material modes of nature. Out of causeless mercy, He teaches people how to rise to the spiritual platform.

  2. 2

    While performing all kinds of duties, one should remember that they are meant to satisfy the Supreme Lord. Even those advanced in spiritual realization should not give up prescribed duties, charity and austerity.

  3. 3

    In this Age of Kali, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught that chanting the Lord’s holy name is the only means of deliverance. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement therefore teaches people to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

Key points from the purport
  • According to Vedic principles, there must be divisions of human society (cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam).
  • The Supreme Personality therefore comes to teach us how to act according to the Vedic principles.
  • One should not mistake the body of Kṛṣṇa or Caitanya Mahāprabhu to be a material body like ours, for Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared as needed for the benefit of the entire human society.

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· 2

The purport of SB 10.2.34 quotesBG 18.3

As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (18.3), yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyam: the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies, charity, austerity and all such prescribed duties are never to be given up.

The purport of SB 10.2.34 quotesBG 3.9

“Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this material world.”

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 Godhead is absolutely independent, and His incarnations are transcendental. 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.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.2
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. sattvamexistence
  2. viśuddhamtranscendental, beyond the three modes of material nature
  3. śrayateaccepts
  4. bhavānYour Lordship
  5. sthitauduring the maintenance of this material world
  6. śarīriṇāmof all living entities
  7. śreyaḥof supreme auspiciousness
  8. upāyanamfor the benefit
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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

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 10.2

    In this verse: “principles”, “duties”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “worshiped”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 10.2

    In this verse: “mercy”, “causeless”

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 could you approach one of your daily duties as service meant to satisfy the Supreme Lord?

Practice

Before one duty today, pause and remember that you want to perform it to satisfy Kṛṣṇa.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayMake Your Duties Worship of the LordThis 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.

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