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

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Canto 12 · The Age of Deterioration · 13 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 12 · Chapter 11: Summary Description of the Mahāpuruṣa
12.11.112.11.4

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 12.11.2-3

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śaunaka Ṛṣisince 12.11.1inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

तान्त्रिका: परिचर्यायां केवलस्य श्रिय: पते: ।

अङ्गोपाङ्गायुधाकल्पं कल्पयन्ति यथा च यै: ॥ २ ॥

तन्नो वर्णय भद्रं ते क्रियायोगं बुभुत्सताम् ।

येन क्रियानैपुणेन मर्त्यो यायादमर्त्यताम् ॥ ३ ॥

tāntrikāḥ paricaryāyāṁ

kevalasya śriyaḥ pateḥ

aṅgopāṅgāyudhākalpaṁ

kalpayanti yathā ca yaiḥ

tan no varṇaya bhadraṁ te

kriyā-yogaṁ bubhutsatām

yena kriyā-naipuṇena

martyo yāyād amartyatām

Translation

All good fortune to you! Please explain to us, who are very eager to learn, the process of kriyā-yoga practiced through regulated worship of the transcendental Lord, the husband of the goddess of fortune. Please also explain how the Lord’s devotees conceive of His limbs, associates, weapons and ornaments in terms of particular material representations. By expertly worshiping the Supreme Lord, a mortal can attain immortality.

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.

Regulated Worship Leads to Immortality

  1. 1

    The eager inquirers ask about kriyā-yoga, the process of regulated worship of the transcendental Lord, the husband of the goddess of fortune.

  2. 2

    They want to understand how devotees conceive of the Lord’s limbs, associates, weapons and ornaments through particular material representations.

  3. 3

    By expertly worshiping the Supreme Lord, a mortal can attain immortality.

How it feels

Wonder → Benediction and peace. The work closes by exalting hearing and remembering the Lord.

Chapters 11–13 of Canto 12: The Mahāpuruṣa and the glories of Bhāgavatam. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 11: Summary Description of the Mahāpuruṣa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Then he outlines the process of practical service by which a mortal soul can attain immortality. When Śaunaka shows further interest in learning about the expansion of Lord Hari in the form of the sun-god, Sūta replies that Lord Śrī Hari — the indwelling controller of the universe and its original creator — manifests Himself in the form of the demigod of the sun.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 12.11
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tāntrikāḥthe followers of the methods of the tantric literatures
  2. paricaryāyāmin regulated worship
  3. kevalasyawho is pure spirit
  4. śriyaḥof the goddess of fortune
  5. pateḥof the master
  6. aṅgaHis limbs, such as His feet
  7. upāṅgaHis secondary limbs, such as associates like Garuḍa
  8. āyudhaHis weapons, such as the Sudarśana disc
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 12.11

    In this verse: “devotees”, “worship”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 12.11

    In this verse: “inquirers”, “understand”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 12.11

    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

What would help me approach worship with greater eagerness to learn?

Practice

Set aside a few minutes today for attentive worship of the Supreme Lord.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRegulated Worship Leads to ImmortalityThis 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 12.11.2-3? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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