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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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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 12 · Chapter 13: The Glories of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
12.13.1312.13.15

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 12.13.14

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Sūta Gosvāmīsince 12.13.1inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

राजन्ते तावदन्यानि पुराणानि सतां गणे ।

यावद्भ‍ागवतं नैव श्रूयतेऽमृतसागरम् ॥ १४ ॥

rājante tāvad anyāni

purāṇāni satāṁ gaṇe

yāvad bhāgavataṁ naiva

śrūyate ’mṛta-sāgaram

Translation

All other Purāṇic scriptures shine forth in the assembly of saintly devotees only as long as that great ocean of nectar, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is not heard.

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.

Hear the Great Ocean of Nectar

  1. 1

    Other Purāṇic scriptures shine in an assembly of saintly devotees only until Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is heard.

  2. 2

    The purport calls Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the ocean of nectar and the supreme literature. Its prominence becomes clear when it is duly heard and understood.

  3. 3

    Faithful hearing, recitation and distribution of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will sanctify the world. Other, inferior literatures will then take a minor place.

Key points from the purport
  • Other Vedic literatures and other scriptures of the world remain prominent until the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is duly heard and understood.
  • Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the ocean of nectar and the supreme literature.
  • By faithful hearing, recitation and distribution of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the world will be sanctified and other, inferior literatures will fade to minor status.

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

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 13: The Glories of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Among all the Purāṇas, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the best, and it is the most dear thing to the Vaiṣṇavas. It reveals that spotless, supreme knowledge accessible to the paramahaṁsas, and it also reveals the process by which one can become free from the reactions of material work — a process enriched with knowledge, renunciation and devotion.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 12.13
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. rājantethey shine forth
  2. tāvatthat long
  3. anyānithe other
  4. purāṇāniPurāṇas
  5. satāmof saintly persons
  6. gaṇein the assembly
  7. yāvatas long as
  8. bhāgavatamŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Īśānukathā · The science of God

    Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 12.13

    In this verse: “heard”, “hearing”, “recitation”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 12.13

    In this verse: “devotees”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What would help me hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam more faithfully and understand it more carefully?

Practice

Read this translation aloud slowly, then pause to consider its meaning.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayHear the Great Ocean of NectarThis 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 12.13.14? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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