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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.21.37

Who is speaking and story frame

मयोपबृंहितं भूम्ना ब्रह्मणानन्तशक्तिना ।

भूतेषु घोषरूपेण बिसेषूर्णेव लक्ष्यते ॥ ३७ ॥

mayopabṛṁhitaṁ bhūmnā

brahmaṇānanta-śaktinā

bhūteṣu ghoṣa-rūpeṇa

viseṣūrṇeva lakṣyate

Translation

As the unlimited, unchanging and omnipotent Personality of Godhead dwelling within all living beings, I personally establish the Vedic sound vibration in the form of oṁkāra within all living entities. It is thus perceived subtly, just like a single strand of fiber on a lotus stalk.

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.

Awaken the Heart’s Relationship with God

  1. 1

    The unlimited, unchanging Supreme Personality of Godhead dwells within every living being. He personally establishes Vedic sound there in the subtle form of oṁkāra.

  2. 2

    The seed of all Vedic knowledge is within every living being. Awakening this knowledge and one’s eternal relationship with God is natural and necessary for everyone.

  3. 3

    All perfection is found within the heart. When chanting God’s holy names purifies the heart, that perfection, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, awakens.

Key points from the purport
  • The Supreme Personality of Godhead personally resides within the heart of every living entity, and from this verse we can understand that the seed of all Vedic knowledge is also situated within all living beings.
  • In this way, the process of awakening Vedic knowledge, and thereby awakening one’s eternal relationship with God, is natural and necessary for everyone.
  • All perfection is found within the heart of the living being; as soon as the heart is purified by chanting the holy names of God, that perfection, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, immediately awakens.

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

Striving → Complete devotional trust. The Lord redirects Uddhava toward enduring loving service.

Chapters 21–29 of Canto 11: Spiritual practice culminating in bhakti-yoga. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 21: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Explanation of the Vedic Path

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

It should be understood that there is no inner purport to the Vedas apart from the original Personality of Godhead. The Vedas focus exclusively upon the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.21
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. mayāby Me
  2. upabṛṁhitamestablished
  3. bhūmnāby the unlimited
  4. brahmaṇāthe changeless Absolute
  5. ananta-śaktināwhose potencies have no end
  6. bhūteṣuwithin the living beings
  7. ghoṣa-rūpeṇain the form of subtle sound, the oṁkāra
  8. viseṣuin the subtle fibrous covering of a lotus stalk
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

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 11.21

    In this verse: “chanting”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 11.21

    In this verse: “knowledge”

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 11.21

    In this verse: “purifies”

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 knowing that the Lord dwells in my heart encourage my spiritual practice?

Practice

Spend one quiet minute chanting Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, remembering that He resides within your heart.

Live this todayAwaken the Heart’s Relationship with GodThis 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 11.21.37? Get an answer from the verses themselves.