1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 2 · The Cosmic Manifestation · 10 chapters

12345678910

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 2 · Chapter 1: The First Step in God Realization
2.1.92.1.11

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 2.1.10

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 2.1.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तदहं तेऽभिधास्यामि महापौरुषिको भवान् ।

यस्य श्रद्दधतामाशु स्यान्मुकुन्दे मति: सती ॥ १० ॥

tad ahaṁ te ’bhidhāsyāmi

mahā-pauruṣiko bhavān

yasya śraddadhatām āśu

syān mukunde matiḥ satī

Translation

That very Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam I shall recite before you because you are the most sincere devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. One who gives full attention and respect to hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam achieves unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord, the giver of salvation.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Attentive Hearing Builds Unflinching Faith

  1. 1

    Spiritual knowledge is received through bona fide disciplic succession and the spiritual master’s mercy. The teacher explains from Vedic authority, and the student receives through humble questions and a service attitude.

  2. 2

    Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and surrendering wholly to Him brings spiritual completeness. Hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with full attention and respect strengthens unflinching faith in Him.

  3. 3

    Hearing and reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are devotional activities that can lead to liberation. A sincere student should hear it regularly from a bona fide representative, following the text from beginning to end rather than selecting scattered portions.

Key points from the purport
  • In this case, the spiritual master, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, is ready to recite exactly what he has learned from his great father Śrīla Vyāsadeva, and the disciple, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, is a great devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
  • This unflinching faith in Lord Kṛṣṇa prepares one to become a student of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and one who hears Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from a devotee like Śukadeva Gosvāmī is sure to attain salvation at the end, as Mahārāja Parīkṣit did.
  • Mahārāja Parīkṣit attained salvation by hearing only, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī attained salvation only by reciting.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 1

The purport of SB 2.1.10 quotesSB 11.5.33

vande mahāpuruṣa te caraṇāravindam. In other words, puruṣa means the enjoyer, and mahāpuruṣa means the supreme enjoyer, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

How it feels

Death anxiety → Steady attention. The answer to mortality begins with spiritual focus.

Chapters 1–3 of Canto 2: The practice of hearing, remembering and devotion. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 1: The First Step in God Realization

Śukadeva describes the value of conscious living, self-control, and meditation on the Lord’s universal form.

Back to this verse in chapter 2.1
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tatthat
  2. ahamI
  3. teunto you
  4. abhidhāsyāmishall recite
  5. mahā-pauruṣikaḥthe most sincere devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa
  6. bhavānyour good self
  7. yasyaof which
  8. śraddadhatāmof one who gives full respect and attention
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 2.1

    In this verse: “hearing”, “recite”, “reciting”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 2.1

    In this verse: “devotee”, “devotional”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 2.1

    In this verse: “surrendering”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What can I change to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with greater attention and a service attitude?

Practice

Set aside five uninterrupted minutes today to continue hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in sequence from a bona fide teacher.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.

Quoted in 1 lecture. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Quoted in 1 lecture

In each of these he quotes this verse while speaking on another verse or subject. "Find the quote" opens the transcript at that spot.

7

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

The purport quotesSB 11.5.33

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 2.1's connections

Live this todayAttentive Hearing Builds Unflinching FaithThis 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 2.1.10? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories