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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 10.85.7

Who is speaking and story frame

कान्तिस्तेज: प्रभा सत्ता चन्द्राग्‍न्यर्कर्क्षविद्युताम् ।

यत् स्थैर्यं भूभृतां भूमेर्वृत्तिर्गन्धोऽर्थतो भवान् ॥ ७ ॥

kāntis tejaḥ prabhā sattā

candrāgny-arkarkṣa-vidyutām

yat sthairyaṁ bhū-bhṛtāṁ bhūmer

vṛttir gandho ’rthato bhavān

Translation

The glow of the moon, the brilliance of fire, the radiance of the sun, the twinkling of the stars, the flash of lightning, the permanence of mountains and the aroma and sustaining power of the earth — all these are actually You.

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.

Recognizing the Lord’s Splendor in Nature

  1. 1

    Vasudeva identifies Kṛṣṇa as the essence of the sun, moon, stars, lightning and fire. This understanding agrees with scripture.

  2. 2

    The Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad explains that everything gives light through the radiance of the spiritual sky.

  3. 3

    In Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Lord says that the splendor of the sun, moon and fire comes from Him.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrī Vasudeva, in telling Kṛṣṇa that He is the essence of the sun, moon, stars, lightning and fire, is only reiterating the opinion of scripture, both śruti and smṛti.
  • It is by the reflection of the spiritual sky’s effulgence that everything else gives light, and thus through its radiance this entire universe becomes luminous.”
  • And the splendor of the moon and the splendor of fire also come from Me.”

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 10.85.7 quotesBG 15.12

And in Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā (15.12), the Supreme Lord says: “The splendor of the sun, which dissipates the darkness of this whole world, comes from Me.

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

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 85: Lord Kṛṣṇa Instructs Vasudeva and Retrieves Devakī’s Sons

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Having heard the visiting sages glorify Kṛṣṇa, Vasudeva ceased to regard Him and Balarāma as his sons and began praising Their omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. After glorifying his sons, Vasudeva fell at Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet and begged Him to drive away the conception that the Lord was his son.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.85
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kāntiḥthe attractive glow
  2. tejaḥbrilliance
  3. prabhāluminosity
  4. sattāand particular existence
  5. candraof the moon
  6. agnifire
  7. arkathe sun
  8. ṛkṣathe stars
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

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 10.85

    In this verse: “understanding”

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

Can the light I encounter each day remind me of Kṛṣṇa rather than seem separate from Him?

Practice

When you notice sunlight or moonlight today, pause and remember that its splendor comes from Kṛṣṇa.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRecognizing the Lord’s Splendor in NatureThis 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 10.85.7? Get an answer from the verses themselves.