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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 · Texts 10.84.32-33

Who is speaking and story frame

यस्यानुभूति: कालेन लयोत्पत्त्यादिनास्य वै ।

स्वतोऽन्यस्माच्च गुणतो न कुतश्चन रिष्यति ॥ ३२ ॥

तं क्लेशकर्मपरिपाकगुणप्रवाहै-

रव्याहतानुभवमीश्वरमद्वितीयम् ।

प्राणादिभि: स्वविभवैरुपगूढमन्यो

मन्येत सूर्यमिव मेघहिमोपरागै: ॥ ३३ ॥

yasyānubhūtiḥ kālena

layotpatty-ādināsya vai

svato ’nyasmāc ca guṇato

na kutaścana riṣyati

taṁ kleśa-karma-paripāka-guṇa-pravāhair

avyāhatānubhavam īśvaram advitīyam

prāṇādibhiḥ sva-vibhavair upagūḍham anyo

manyeta sūryam iva megha-himoparāgaiḥ

Translation

The Supreme Lord’s awareness is never disturbed by time, by the creation and destruction of the universe, by changes in its own qualities, or by anything else, whether self-caused or external. But although the consciousness of the Personality of Godhead, who is the supreme one without a second, is never affected by material distress, by the reactions of material work or by the constant flow of nature’s modes, ordinary persons nonetheless think that the Lord is covered by His own creations of prāṇa and other material elements, just as one may think that the sun is covered by clouds, snow or an eclipse.

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.

The Supreme Lord Is Never Covered

  1. 1

    Created things decay, destroy themselves or are destroyed by external forces. Even while they continue to exist, their qualities constantly change.

  2. 2

    The Supreme Personality of Godhead’s awareness is never disrupted by time, material distress, reactions of work or nature’s modes. Only ignorance makes Him seem like an ordinary human being.

  3. 3

    The Lord cannot be covered by His own expansions. Just as clouds appear to cover the sun to an observer, material conditions only seem to cover Him.

Key points from the purport
  • Even in living bodies and other things whose existence continues for some time, there is a constant flux of various qualities that are destroyed and replaced by others.
  • In contrast to all of this, the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s awareness is never disrupted by anything.
  • Analogously, the immense sun is the source of the relatively insignificant phenomena of clouds, snow and eclipses, and so it cannot be covered by them, though the ordinary observer may think that it is.

The purport'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

Humility and separation → Friendship and reunion. The sweetness of relationship outweighs prestige.

Chapters 80–86 of Canto 10: Sudāmā and reunion with the residents of Vraja. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 84: The Sages’ Teachings at Kurukṣetra

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The sages continued to glorify the Lord as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul, and the friend and worshiper of the brāhmaṇas. After the sages had praised Him, Lord Kṛṣṇa offered them His obeisances, and they begged His permission to return to their hermitages.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.84
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. yasyawhose
  2. anubhūtiḥawareness
  3. kālenacaused by time
  4. layaby the destruction
  5. utpatticreation
  6. ādināand so on
  7. asyaof this (universe)
  8. vaiindeed
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

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 10.84

    In this verse: “distress”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.84

    In this verse: “material”

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

Do I sometimes project my own material limitations onto the Supreme Lord?

Practice

Read the sun-and-cloud comparison once today, then reflect for a moment on the Lord’s undisturbed awareness.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Supreme Lord Is Never CoveredThis 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 10.84.32-33? Get an answer from the verses themselves.