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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
2.1.62.1.8

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 2.1.7

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

प्रायेण मुनयो राजन्निवृत्ता विधिषेधत: ।

नैर्गुण्यस्था रमन्ते स्म गुणानुकथने हरे: ॥ ७ ॥

prāyeṇa munayo rājan

nivṛttā vidhi-ṣedhataḥ

nairguṇya-sthā ramante sma

guṇānukathane hareḥ

Translation

O King Parīkṣit, mainly the topmost transcendentalists, who are above the regulative principles and restrictions, take pleasure in describing the glories of the Lord.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Liberated Souls Delight in Glorifying the Lord

  1. 1

    A beginner is guided by the spiritual master under regulative principles, just as a patient follows restrictions during treatment. The topmost transcendentalist is a liberated soul, beyond these restrictions.

  2. 2

    The Lord’s form, attributes and activities are transcendental, not material. Liberated souls, who have no interest in material activities, take pleasure in discussing His pastimes.

  3. 3

    The highest perfection of transcendental realization is to enjoy hearing and describing the Lord’s qualities. Real transcendental pleasure lies in glorifying Him, not in merging into His impersonal existence.

Key points from the purport
  • The topmost transcendentalists or the liberated souls realize Him by advanced experience of transcendental knowledge, and therefore they take pleasure in the discussion of the transcendental qualities of the Lord’s pastimes.
  • Therefore, the highest perfection of transcendental realization is to take pleasure in hearing and describing the transcendental qualities of the Lord and not in merging into His impersonal Brahman existence, for which the impersonalist monist aspires.
  • But there are also others who are not the topmost transcendentalists but are in a lower status, and who do not take pleasure in describing the transcendental activities of the Lord.

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 2.1.7 quotesBG 4.9

In the Bhagavad-gītā (4.9), the Personality of Godhead declares that His appearance and activities are all divyam, or transcendental.

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. prāyeṇamainly
  2. munayaḥall sages
  3. rājanO King
  4. nivṛttāḥabove
  5. vidhiregulative principles
  6. ṣedhataḥfrom restrictions
  7. nairguṇya-sthāḥtranscendentally situated
  8. ramantetake pleasure in
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”, “glorifying”

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 2.1

    In this verse: “principles”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 2.1

    In this verse: “king”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can I approach hearing about the Lord as an opportunity for devotional pleasure?

Practice

Read aloud one sentence from this purport describing the Lord’s transcendental qualities.

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.

1 lecture given on it · quoted in 1 more lecture. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Quoted in 1 other 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.

Live this todayLiberated Souls Delight in Glorifying the LordThis 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.

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