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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 6: Mahārāja Parīkṣit Passes Away
12.6.3912.6.42

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 12.6.40-41

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Sūta Gosvāmīsince 12.6.37inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

श‍ृणोति य इमं स्फोटं सुप्तश्रोत्रे च शून्यद‍ृक् ।

येन वाग् व्यज्यते यस्य व्यक्तिराकाश आत्मन: ॥ ४० ॥

स्वधाम्नो ब्राह्मण: साक्षाद् वाचक: परमात्मन: ।

स सर्वमन्त्रोपनिषद्वेदबीजं सनातनम् ॥ ४१ ॥

śṛṇoti ya imaṁ sphoṭaṁ

supta-śrotre ca śūnya-dṛk

yena vāg vyajyate yasya

vyaktir ākāśa ātmanaḥ

sva-dhāmno brahmaṇaḥ sākṣād

vācakaḥ paramātmanaḥ

sa sarva-mantropaniṣad

veda-bījaṁ sanātanam

Translation

This oṁkāra, ultimately nonmaterial and imperceptible, is heard by the Supersoul without His possessing material ears or any other material senses. The entire expanse of Vedic sound is elaborated from oṁkāra, which appears from the soul, within the sky of the heart. It is the direct designation of the self-originating Absolute Truth, the Supersoul, and is the secret essence and eternal seed of all Vedic hymns.

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.

Oṁkāra Is the Seed of Vedic Sound

  1. 1

    The Supreme Lord within the heart hears sound and awakens sleeping living entities. His sensory activities always function on a superior level, without dependence on material senses.

  2. 2

    Within the heart is a type of sky meant for the vibration of Vedic sounds. Oṁkāra is their eternal seed and directly designates the self-originating Absolute Truth, the Supersoul.

  3. 3

    Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the greatest Vedic literature, is the full elaboration of the Vedic seed sound.

Key points from the purport
  • The senses of a sleeping person do not function until he has awakened.
  • The seed, or source, of all Vedic sounds is the oṁkāra.
  • The full elaboration of the Vedic seed sound is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the greatest Vedic literature.

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

Approaching death → Demonstrated fearlessness. Parīkṣit is already a great devotee; his final hearing exemplifies fearlessness for the audience.

Chapters 5–6 of Canto 12: Śukadeva's final instruction and Parīkṣit's passing. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 6: Mahārāja Parīkṣit Passes Away

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

From the heart of the topmost demigod, Brahmā, came the subtle transcendental vibration, and from this subtle sound vibration arose the syllable om, greatly potent and self-luminous. Using this oṁkāra, Lord Brahmā created the original Vedas and taught them to his sons, Marīci and others, who were all saintly leaders of the brāhmaṇa community.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 12.6
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śṛṇotihears
  2. yaḥwho
  3. imamthis
  4. sphoṭamunmanifest and eternal subtle sound
  5. supta-śrotrewhen the sense of hearing is asleep
  6. caand
  7. śūnya-dṛkdevoid of material sight and other sensory functions
  8. yenaby which
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 12.6

    In this verse: “heard”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 12.6

    In this verse: “absolute truth”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 12.6

    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

How might seeing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the full elaboration of Vedic sound affect my attention while reading?

Practice

Read a short passage of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam today with deliberate attention, remembering its relationship to the eternal Vedic seed sound.

5

The story around it

The stories this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayOṁkāra Is the Seed of Vedic SoundThis 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 12.6.40-41? Get an answer from the verses themselves.