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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
12.9.312.9.5

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 12.9.4

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The sagesince 12.9.4inside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

श्रीऋषिरुवाच

जितं ते देवदेवेश प्रपन्नार्तिहराच्युत ।

वरेणैतावतालं नो यद् भवान् समद‍ृश्यत ॥ ४ ॥

śrī-ṛṣir uvāca

jitaṁ te deva-deveśa

prapannārti-harācyuta

vareṇaitāvatālaṁ no

yad bhavān samadṛśyata

Translation

The sage said: O Lord of lords, all glories to You! O Lord Acyuta, You remove all distress for the devotees who surrender unto You. That you have allowed me to see You is all the benediction I want.

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.

Seeing the Lord Is Benediction Enough

  1. 1

    Mārkaṇḍeya glorifies Acyuta as the Lord of lords.

  2. 2

    The Lord removes all distress for devotees who surrender unto Him.

  3. 3

    For Mārkaṇḍeya, being allowed to see the Lord is all the benediction he wants.

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:

Satisfied by the prayers Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya had offered, the Supreme Lord told him to ask for a benediction, and the sage said he wanted to see the Lord’s illusory energy. The Supreme Lord Śrī Hari, present before Mārkaṇḍeya in the form of Nara-Nārāyaṇa, replied, “So be it,” and then left for Badarikāśrama.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 12.9
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-ṛṣiḥ uvācathe sage said
  2. jitamare victorious
  3. teYou
  4. deva-deva-īśaO Lord of lords
  5. prapannaof one who is surrendered
  6. ārti-haraO remover of all distress
  7. acyutaO infallible one
  8. vareṇawith the benediction
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 12.9

    In this verse: “devotees”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 12.9

    In this verse: “distress”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 12.9

    In this verse: “surrender”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does Mārkaṇḍeya’s satisfaction teach me about what to seek from the Lord?

Practice

Offer a prayer of surrender to Lord Acyuta without asking for a material reward.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySeeing the Lord Is Benediction EnoughThis 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 12.9.4? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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