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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 54: The Marriage of Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī
10.54.4310.54.45

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.54.44

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Balarāmasince 10.54.41inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

एक एव परो ह्यात्मा सर्वेषामपि देहिनाम् ।

नानेव गृह्यते मूढैर्यथा ज्योतिर्यथा नभ: ॥ ४४ ॥

eka eva paro hy ātmā

sarveṣām api dehinām

nāneva gṛhyate mūḍhair

yathā jyotir yathā nabhaḥ

Translation

Those who are bewildered perceive the one Supreme Soul, who resides in all embodied beings, as many, just as one may perceive the light in the sky, or the sky itself, as many.

Read the purport on Vedabase.io

From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

One Supreme Soul Resides in All

  1. 1

    The Supreme Lord is present in every living being, although He is one. Bewildered people perceive Him as many.

  2. 2

    One moon may appear as many moons when reflected in different bodies of water. Similarly, the Lord’s presence in many beings does not divide Him.

  3. 3

    The sky within many clay pots is still one sky. This second analogy also helps explain the oneness of the all-pervading Supreme Soul.

Key points from the purport
  • The last line of this text, y athā jyotir yathā nabhaḥ, introduces two analogies in which we perceive one thing to be many.
  • Then it would appear as if there were many moons, although there is only one.
  • Similarly, we perceive a divine presence in each living being because the Supreme Lord is present everywhere, although He is one.

The purport's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 1

The purport of SB 10.54.44 quotesSB 1.2.32

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.32) gives a similar analogy concerning fire and wood: “The Lord, as the Supersoul, pervades all things, just as fire permeates wood, and so He appears to be of many varieties, though He is the absolute one without a second.”

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

Yearning and danger → Marriage and reciprocity. A wider range of divine relationships appears.

Chapters 50–59 of Canto 10: Dvārakā, Rukmiṇī and royal rescues. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 54: The Marriage of Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

He further instructed her about the transcendental position of the jīva soul and how the illusion of happiness and distress is simply a result of ignorance. Accepting Lord Balarāma’s instructions, Rukmiṇī gave up her sorrow.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.54
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ekaḥone
  2. evaonly
  3. paraḥthe Supreme
  4. hiindeed
  5. ātmāSoul
  6. sarveṣāmamong all
  7. apiand
  8. dehināmembodied beings
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

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 might remembering the Lord’s presence in everyone change my attitude toward others?

Practice

During one interaction today, quietly remember that the one Supreme Lord is present in that person too.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

The purport quotesSB 1.2.32

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 10.54's connections

Live this todayOne Supreme Soul Resides in AllThis 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 10.54.44? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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