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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 11 · General History · 31 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 11 · Chapter 16: The Lord’s Opulence
11.16.1111.16.13

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.16.12

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 11.16.6inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

हिरण्यगर्भो वेदानां मन्त्राणां प्रणवस्‍त्रिवृत् ।

अक्षराणामकारोऽस्मि पदानिच्छन्दसामहम् ॥ १२ ॥

hiraṇyagarbho vedānāṁ

mantrāṇāṁ praṇavas tri-vṛt

akṣarāṇām a-kāro ’smi

padāni cchandasām aham

Translation

Among the Vedas I am their original teacher, Lord Brahmā, and of all mantras I am the three-lettered oṁkāra. Among letters I am the first letter, “a,” and among sacred meters I am the Gāyatrī mantra.

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 in Sacred Sound

  1. 1

    Among the Vedas, the Lord is their original teacher, Lord Brahmā.

  2. 2

    Among mantras, He is the three-lettered oṁkāra. Among letters, He is the first letter, “a.”

  3. 3

    Among sacred meters, He is the Gāyatrī mantra. These examples direct our attention to the Lord in sacred teaching and sound.

How it feels

Uncertainty → Clarity. The coming separation makes the instruction personally urgent.

Chapters 10–20 of Canto 11: Kṛṣṇa's teachings on self, yoga and wisdom. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 16: The Lord’s Opulence

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

He is the soul of all beings, and by secretly taking up residence within all living bodies He sees everything. The conditioned souls, on the other hand, are bewildered by His external energy and thus are unable to see Him.”
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.16
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. hiraṇya-garbhaḥLord Brahmā
  2. vedānāmof the Vedas
  3. mantrāṇāmof mantras
  4. praṇavaḥthe oṁkāra
  5. tri-vṛtconsisting of three letters
  6. akṣarāṇāmof letters
  7. a-kāraḥthe first letter, a
  8. asmiI am
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

Do I give sacred words the attention their connection with the Lord deserves?

Practice

Write down the four examples in this verse and read them attentively as reminders of the Lord.

Live this todayThe Lord in Sacred SoundThis 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 11.16.12? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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