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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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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
11.16.1411.16.16

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.16.15

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

सिद्धेश्वराणां कपिल: सुपर्णोऽहं पतत्रिणाम् ।

प्रजापतीनां दक्षोऽहं पितृणामहमर्यमा ॥ १५ ॥

siddheśvarāṇāṁ kapilaḥ

suparṇo ’haṁ patatriṇām

prajāpatīnāṁ dakṣo ’haṁ

pitṝṇām aham aryamā

Translation

I am Lord Kapila among perfected beings and Garuḍa among birds. I am Dakṣa among the progenitors of mankind, and I am Aryamā among the forefathers.

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 Among Perfected Beings

  1. 1

    Among perfected beings, the Lord is Lord Kapila.

  2. 2

    Among birds, He is Garuḍa.

  3. 3

    Among the progenitors of mankind, He is Dakṣa. Among the forefathers, He is Aryamā.

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. siddha-īśvarāṇāmamong perfected beings
  2. kapilaḥI am Lord Kapila
  3. suparṇaḥGaruḍa
  4. ahamI am
  5. patatriṇāmamong birds
  6. prajāpatīnāmamong the progenitors of mankind
  7. dakṣaḥDakṣa
  8. ahamI 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

Can I read these names as reminders of the Lord rather than merely as facts to memorize?

Practice

Make a short list pairing each of the four names with its category, then read it with attention to the Lord.

5

Connected stories

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

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 11.16's connections

Live this todayThe Lord Among Perfected BeingsThis 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 11.16.15? Get an answer from the verses themselves.