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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

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
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

1.19.40 2.1.1

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 2.1.invocation

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Sūta Gosvāmīinside 1 frame: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ।

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Translation

O my Lord, the all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Offer Respectful Obeisances to Kṛṣṇa

1
By chanting oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, we offer respectful obeisances to the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, the reservoir of all pleasure.
2
Chanting the name of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, can bring all the good results of charity, austerity and penances.
3
Worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate function of every living entity. Questions about Him are therefore most glorious.

Key points from the purport

In the first verse, Śukadeva Gosvāmī replies to the questions of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who asked him about one’s duties at the point of death.
And because Lord Kṛṣṇa was always pleased with Mahārāja Parīkṣit’s family, at the verge of Mahārāja Parīkṣit’s death Śukadeva Gosvāmī was sent to help him in the process of self-realization.
Mahārāja Parīkṣit was a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa from his childhood, so he had natural affection for Kṛṣṇa.

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

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

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

omO my Lord
namaḥmy respectful obeisances unto You
bhagavateunto the Personality of Godhead
vāsudevāyaunto Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva

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
Bhakti · Devotion and loving service
How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 2.1
In this verse: “worship”
Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting
Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 2.1
In this verse: “chanting”

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can I make my chanting a sincere offering of respect to Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Today, slowly chant oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya as an offering of respectful obeisances to Kṛṣṇa.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayOffer Respectful Obeisances to KṛṣṇaThis 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.invocation? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

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