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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 3: The Birth of Lord Kṛṣṇa
10.3.2510.3.27

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.3.26

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śrī Devakīsince 10.3.24inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

योऽयं कालस्तस्य तेऽव्यक्तबन्धो

चेष्टामाहुश्चेष्टते येन विश्वम् ।

निमेषादिर्वत्सरान्तो महीयां-

स्तं त्वेशानं क्षेमधाम प्रपद्ये ॥ २६ ॥

yo ’yaṁ kālas tasya te ’vyakta-bandho

ceṣṭām āhuś ceṣṭate yena viśvam

nimeṣādir vatsarānto mahīyāṁs

taṁ tveśānaṁ kṣema-dhāma prapadye

Translation

O inaugurator of the material energy, this wonderful creation works under the control of powerful time, which is divided into seconds, minutes, hours and years. This element of time, which extends for many millions of years, is but another form of Lord Viṣṇu. For Your pastimes, You act as the controller of time, but You are the reservoir of all good fortune. Let me offer my full surrender unto Your Lordship.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Time Is Under the Lord’s Control

  1. 1

    The entire cosmic manifestation is within the limits of time. Even the powerful sun moves under time’s control.

  2. 2

    Time itself is controlled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord is not within time’s limits and has no fear of its onslaughts.

  3. 3

    Like a potter who sets a wheel in motion, the Lord directs the movements of the cosmos, even when He is unseen. He is the reservoir of all good fortune, to whom we can offer full surrender.

Key points from the purport
  • Prakṛti, the cosmic manifestation, is under the control of time.
  • The sun is under the control of time, and time is controlled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
  • Therefore the Lord has no fear of time.

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

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 3: The Birth of Lord Kṛṣṇa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

For the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this material world, the Lord appears as the guṇa-avatāras — Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara. Thus Vasudeva offered prayers full of meaning to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.3
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. yaḥthat which
  2. ayamthis
  3. kālaḥtime (minutes, hours, seconds)
  4. tasyaof Him
  5. teof You
  6. avyakta-bandhoO my Lord, You are the inaugurator of the unmanifested (the original mahat-tattva or prakṛti)
  7. ceṣṭāmattempt or pastimes
  8. āhuḥit is said
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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.3

    In this verse: “material”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.3

    In this verse: “surrender”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 10.3

    In this verse: “fear”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How might remembering the Lord’s control of time help me turn toward surrender?

Practice

Pause for one minute today and offer a prayer of surrender to the Lord, who controls time.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayTime Is Under the Lord’s ControlThis 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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