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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
12.11.2512.11.27-28

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 12.11.26

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Sūta Gosvāmīsince 12.11.4inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

य इदं कल्य उत्थाय महापुरुषलक्षणम् ।

तच्चित्त: प्रयतो जप्‍त्वा ब्रह्म वेद गुहाशयम् ॥ २६ ॥

ya idaṁ kalya utthāya

mahā-puruṣa-lakṣaṇam

tac-cittaḥ prayato japtvā

brahma veda guhāśayam

Translation

Anyone who rises early in the morning and, with a purified mind fixed upon the Mahāpuruṣa, quietly chants this description of His characteristics will realize Him as the Supreme Absolute Truth residing within the heart.

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.

Remember the Supreme Lord Within the Heart

  1. 1

    Rise early in the morning with a purified mind fixed upon the Mahāpuruṣa.

  2. 2

    Quietly chant this description of His characteristics, keeping the mind absorbed in Him.

  3. 3

    Through this practice, one will realize Him as the Supreme Absolute Truth residing within the heart.

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:

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. Sages describe this sun-god in many features according to his different material designations.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 12.11
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. yaḥanyone who
  2. idamthis
  3. kalyeat dawn
  4. utthāyarising
  5. mahā-puruṣa-lakṣaṇamthe characteristics of the Supreme Personality in His universal form
  6. tat-cittaḥwith mind absorbed in Him
  7. prayataḥpurified
  8. japtvāchanting to oneself
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

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 12.11

    In this verse: “chants”, “chant”

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 12.11

    In this verse: “purified”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

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

    In this verse: “absolute truth”

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 can I give quiet, focused attention to the Lord in the morning?

Practice

Quietly read aloud this description of the Lord today, keeping your mind fixed upon Him.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRemember the Supreme Lord Within the HeartThis 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 12.11.26? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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