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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.68.45

Who is speaking and story frame

स्थित्युत्पत्त्यप्ययानां त्वमेको हेतुर्निराश्रय: ।

लोकान् क्रीडनकानीश क्रीडतस्ते वदन्ति हि ॥ ४५ ॥

sthity-utpatty-apyayānāṁ tvam

eko hetur nirāśrayaḥ

lokān krīḍanakān īśa

krīḍatas te vadanti hi

Translation

You alone cause the creation, maintenance and annihilation of the cosmos, and of You there is no prior cause. Indeed, O Lord, authorities say that the worlds are mere playthings for You as You perform Your pastimes.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

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.

The Lord Is the Cause of Everything

  1. 1

    The Lord alone causes the creation, maintenance and annihilation of the cosmos.

  2. 2

    He has no prior cause and depends on no other source for His existence.

  3. 3

    Authorities describe the worlds as mere playthings for Him as He performs His pastimes.

How it feels

Conflict and affection → Devotional wonder. Divine intimacy coexists with royal duties.

Chapters 60–69 of Canto 10: Palace life, family bonds and heroic protection. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 68: The Marriage of Sāmba

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

It is from us alone that the Yādavas have obtained their royal thrones, and yet now they are presuming themselves our equals. No longer will we extend to them royal privileges.”
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.68
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. sthitiof maintenance
  2. utpatticreation
  3. apyayānāmand destruction
  4. tvamYou
  5. ekaḥalone
  6. hetuḥthe cause
  7. nirāśrayaḥwithout any other basis
  8. lokānthe worlds
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

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 does remembering the Lord as the cause of everything affect your sense of dependence on Him?

Practice

Pause today and offer a brief prayer acknowledging the Lord as the source and maintainer of your life.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord Is the Cause of EverythingThis 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 10.68.45? Get an answer from the verses themselves.