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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
2.1.182.1.20

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 2.1.19

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

तत्रैकावयवं ध्यायेदव्युच्छिन्नेन चेतसा ।

मनो निर्विषयं युक्त्वा तत: किञ्चन न स्मरेत् ।

पदं तत्परमं विष्णोर्मनो यत्र प्रसीदति ॥ १९ ॥

tatraikāvayavaṁ dhyāyed

avyucchinnena cetasā

mano nirviṣayaṁ yuktvā

tataḥ kiñcana na smaret

padaṁ tat paramaṁ viṣṇor

mano yatra prasīdati

Translation

Thereafter, you should meditate upon the limbs of Viṣṇu, one after another, without being deviated from the conception of the complete body. Thus the mind becomes free from all sense objects. There should be no other thing to be thought upon. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, is the Ultimate Truth, the mind becomes completely reconciled in Him only.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Meditate on the Lord’s Personal Form

  1. 1

    The ultimate goal of the search for happiness is direct contact with Lord Viṣṇu. Govinda, or Lord Kṛṣṇa, is the original form of viṣṇu-tattva and the supreme cause of all causes.

  2. 2

    Meditation may begin at the Lord’s lotus feet and proceed through His limbs, one after another. Throughout this meditation, one should retain awareness of His complete transcendental form.

  3. 3

    The temple Deity is identical with Lord Viṣṇu by His inconceivable potency, not an arrangement of idol worship. Meditating on His form offers beginners an easier opportunity than concentrating on impersonal oṁkāra.

Key points from the purport
  • Therefore, thinking of Viṣṇu or meditating upon the transcendental form of Viṣṇu, specifically upon Lord Kṛṣṇa, is the last word on the subject of meditation.
  • One should not, however, forget or be misled from the complete form of the Lord; thus one should practice thinking of the different parts of His transcendental body, one after another.
  • Here it is indicated that the Viṣṇu form is the ultimate goal of meditation, and as such it is better to concentrate upon the forms of Viṣṇu than on impersonal oṁkāra.

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. tatrathereafter
  2. ekaone by one
  3. avayavamlimbs of the body
  4. dhyāyetshould be concentrated upon
  5. avyucchinnenawithout being deviated from the complete form
  6. cetasāby the mind
  7. manaḥmind
  8. nirviṣayamwithout being contaminated by sense objects
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

  • Vairāgya · Freedom from attachment

    Release from possessiveness and false identities. · Theme in SB 2.1

    In this verse: “free from”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “worship”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does understanding that the Lord is a transcendental person affect my approach to meditation?

Practice

Take a quiet minute to think of the Lord’s lotus feet while remembering that they belong to His complete personal form.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayMeditate on the Lord’s Personal FormThis 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 2.1.19? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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