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

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Canto 2 · The Cosmic Manifestation · 10 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 2 · Chapter 1: The First Step in God Realization
2.1.152.1.17

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 2.1.16

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 2.1.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

गृहात् प्रव्रजितो धीर: पुण्यतीर्थजलाप्लुत: ।

शुचौ विविक्त आसीनो विधिवत्कल्पितासने ॥ १६ ॥

gṛhāt pravrajito dhīraḥ

puṇya-tīrtha-jalāplutaḥ

śucau vivikta āsīno

vidhivat kalpitāsane

Translation

One should leave home and practice self-control. In a sacred place he should bathe regularly and sit down in a lonely place duly sanctified.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Self-Control Helps Fix the Mind on God

  1. 1

    One should prepare for a better next life at any stage, without waiting for death to interrupt material plans. Retirement from family encumbrances is intended for spiritual regeneration.

  2. 2

    Merely leaving home or living in a holy place is not enough. One must practice self-control over sense desires rather than create fresh material attachments.

  3. 3

    In a duly sanctified sitting place, one should chant the Lord’s holy name without offense. The purpose is to draw the mind away from material engagements and fix it on the lotus feet of the Lord.

Key points from the purport
  • To prepare oneself for the better next life, one must get out of one’s so-called home.
  • Modern civilization is based on family comforts, the highest standard of amenities, and therefore after retirement everyone expects to live a very comfortable life in a well-furnished home decorated with fine ladies and children, without any desire to get out of such a comfortable home.
  • The principle is that one should take it for granted that the death warning is already there, even prior to the attainment of fifty years of age, and thus at any stage of life one should prepare himself for a better next life.

Śrīla Prabhupāda'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

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. gṛhātfrom one’s home
  2. pravrajitaḥhaving gone out
  3. dhīraḥself-controlled
  4. puṇyapious
  5. tīrthasacred place
  6. jala-āplutaḥfully washed
  7. śucaucleansed
  8. viviktesolitary
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 2.1

    In this verse: “chant”, “holy name”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 2.1

    In this verse: “attachments”, “material”

  • Abhaya · Fearlessness

    Steadiness through faith amid danger and death. · Theme in SB 2.1

    In this verse: “death”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Am I changing my attachments, or only changing my surroundings?

Practice

Sit in a clean, quiet place for a few minutes and chant the Lord’s holy name, gently returning your attention to Him.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySelf-Control Helps Fix the Mind on GodThis 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 2.1.16? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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