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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

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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 9: Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi Sees the Illusory Potency of the Lord

12.9.19 12.9.21

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 12.9.20

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Sūta Gosvāmīsince 12.9.7inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

स कदाचिद् भ्रमंस्तस्मिन् पृथिव्या: ककुदि द्विज: ।

न्याग्रोधपोतं दद‍ृशे फलपल्ल‍वशोभितम् ॥ २० ॥

sa kadācid bhramaṁs tasmin

pṛthivyāḥ kakudi dvijaḥ

nyāgrodha-potaṁ dadṛśe

phala-pallava-śobhitam

Translation

Once, while wandering in the water, the brāhmaṇa Mārkaṇḍeya discovered a small island, upon which stood a young banyan tree bearing blossoms and fruits.

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.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

A Small Island in the Deluge

1
While wandering in the water, the brāhmaṇa Mārkaṇḍeya discovered a small island.
2
A young banyan tree stood upon that island.
3
The tree bore blossoms and fruits, a striking sight amid the waters.

How it feels

Terror and bewilderment → Wonder and surrender. Annihilation gives way to a tender divine vision.

Chapters 9–10 of Canto 12: Mārkaṇḍeya witnesses the deluge and divine child. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Chapter 9: Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi Sees the Illusory Potency of the Lord

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

With great difficulty Mārkaṇḍeya moved about all alone in this water for a long time, until he came upon a banyan tree. Lying upon a leaf of that tree was an infant boy glowing with a charming effulgence.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 12.9

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

saḥhe
kadāciton one occasion
bhramanwhile wandering
tasminin that water
pṛthivyāḥof earth
kakudiupon a raised place
dvijaḥthe brāhmaṇa
nyāgrodha-potama young banyan tree

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

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What stands out to me about this small island and its living tree?

Practice

Spend a minute picturing only the details given here: water, a small island and a young tree with blossoms and fruits.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayA Small Island in the DelugeThis 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 12.9.20? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

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