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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 9: Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi Sees the Illusory Potency of the Lord
12.9.3012.9.33

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 12.9.31-32

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

तस्मिन् पृथिव्या: ककुदि प्ररूढं

वटं च तत्पर्णपुटे शयानम् ।

तोकं च तत्प्रेमसुधास्मितेन

निरीक्षितोऽपाङ्गनिरीक्षणेन ॥ ३१ ॥

अथ तं बालकं वीक्ष्य नेत्राभ्यां धिष्ठितं हृदि ।

अभ्ययादतिसङ्‌‌‌क्लिष्ट: परिष्वक्तुमधोक्षजम् ॥ ३२ ॥

tasmin pṛthivyāḥ kakudi prarūḍhaṁ

vaṭaṁ ca tat-parṇa-puṭe śayānam

tokaṁ ca tat-prema-sudhā-smitena

nirīkṣito ’pāṅga-nirīkṣaṇena

atha taṁ bālakaṁ vīkṣya

netrābhyāṁ dhiṣṭhitaṁ hṛdi

abhyayād ati-saṅkliṣṭaḥ

pariṣvaktum adhokṣajam

Translation

In that vast sea he again saw the banyan tree growing on the tiny island and the infant boy lying within the leaf. The child glanced at him from the corner of His eyes with a smile imbued with the nectar of love, and Mārkaṇḍeya took Him into his heart through his eyes. Greatly agitated, the sage ran to embrace the transcendental Personality of Godhead.

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.

Receiving the Lord Into the Heart

  1. 1

    In the vast sea, Mārkaṇḍeya again saw the banyan tree on the tiny island and the infant lying within its leaf.

  2. 2

    The child glanced at him with a smile imbued with the nectar of love. Through his eyes, Mārkaṇḍeya took Him into his heart.

  3. 3

    Greatly agitated, the sage ran to embrace the transcendental Personality of Godhead.

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

Further reading

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

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Then, seeing that the child on the leaf was actually Śrī Hari, the transcendental Lord situated within his own heart, Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya tried to embrace Him. But at that moment Lord Hari, the master of all mystic power, disappeared.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 12.9
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tasminin that water
  2. pṛthivyāḥof land
  3. kakudion the raised place
  4. prarūḍhamgrowing up
  5. vaṭamthe banyan tree
  6. caand
  7. tatof it
  8. parṇa-puṭewithin the slight depression of the leaf
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

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 12.9

    In this verse: “child”, “infant”

  • Prema · Transcendental love

    The intimacy and sweetness of devotion to Kṛṣṇa. · Theme in SB 12.9

    In this verse: “love”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does Mārkaṇḍeya’s response to the Lord’s loving smile invite you to reflect on?

Practice

Pause for a minute to remember the Lord’s loving glance and offer Him a heartfelt expression of devotion.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayReceiving the Lord Into 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 12.9.31-32? Get an answer from the verses themselves.