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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 2.3.2-7

Who is speaking and story frame

ब्रह्मवर्चसकामस्तु यजेत ब्रह्मण: पतिम् ।

इन्द्रमिन्द्रियकामस्तु प्रजाकाम: प्रजापतीन् ॥ २ ॥

देवीं मायां तु श्रीकामस्तेजस्कामो विभावसुम् ।

वसुकामो वसून रुद्रान् वीर्यकामोऽथ वीर्यवान् ॥ ३ ॥

अन्नाद्यकामस्त्वदितिं स्वर्गकामोऽदिते:सुतान् ।

विश्वान्देवान् राज्यकाम: साध्यान्संसाधको विशाम् ॥ ४ ॥

आयुष्कामोऽश्विनौ देवौ पुष्टिकाम इलां यजेत् ।

प्रतिष्ठाकाम: पुरुषो रोदसी लोकमातरौ ॥ ५ ॥

रूपाभिकामो गन्धर्वान् स्त्रीकामोऽप्सर उर्वशीम् ।

आधिपत्यकाम: सर्वेषां यजेत परमेष्ठिनम् ॥ ६ ॥

यज्ञं यजेद् यशस्काम: कोशकाम: प्रचेतसम् ।

विद्याकामस्तु गिरिशं दाम्पत्यार्थ उमां सतीम् ॥ ७ ॥

brahma-varcasa-kāmas tu

yajeta brahmaṇaḥ patim

indram indriya-kāmas tu

prajā-kāmaḥ prajāpatīn

devīṁ māyāṁ tu śrī-kāmas

tejas-kāmo vibhāvasum

vasu-kāmo vasūn rudrān

vīrya-kāmo ’tha vīryavān

annādya-kāmas tv aditiṁ

svarga-kāmo ’diteḥ sutān

viśvān devān rājya-kāmaḥ

sādhyān saṁsādhako viśām

āyuṣ-kāmo ’śvinau devau

puṣṭi-kāma ilāṁ yajet

pratiṣṭhā-kāmaḥ puruṣo

rodasī loka-mātarau

rūpābhikāmo gandharvān

strī-kāmo ’psara urvaśīm

ādhipatya-kāmaḥ sarveṣāṁ

yajeta parameṣṭhinam

yajñaṁ yajed yaśas-kāmaḥ

kośa-kāmaḥ pracetasam

vidyā-kāmas tu giriśaṁ

dāmpatyārtha umāṁ satīm

Translation

One who desires to be absorbed in the impersonal brahmajyoti effulgence should worship the master of the Vedas [Lord Brahmā or Bṛhaspati, the learned priest], one who desires powerful sex should worship the heavenly King, Indra, and one who desires good progeny should worship the great progenitors called the Prajāpatis. One who desires good fortune should worship Durgādevī, the superintendent of the material world. One desiring to be very powerful should worship fire, and one who aspires only after money should worship the Vasus. One should worship the Rudra incarnations of Lord Śiva if he wants to be a great hero. One who wants a large stock of grains should worship Aditi. One who desires to attain the heavenly planets should worship the sons of Aditi. One who desires a worldly kingdom should worship Viśvadeva, and one who wants to be popular with the general mass of population should worship the Sādhya demigod. One who desires a long span of life should worship the demigods known as the Aśvinī-kumāras, and a person desiring a strongly built body should worship the earth. One who desires stability in his post should worship the horizon and the earth combined. One who desires to be beautiful should worship the beautiful residents of the Gandharva planet, and one who desires a good wife should worship the Apsarās and the Urvaśī society girls of the heavenly kingdom. One who desires domination over others should worship Lord Brahmā, the head of the universe. One who desires tangible fame should worship the Personality of Godhead, and one who desires a good bank balance should worship the demigod Varuṇa. If one desires to be a greatly learned man he should worship Lord Śiva, and if one desires a good marital relation he should worship the chaste goddess Umā, the wife of Lord Śiva.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Seek Lasting Life Beyond Material Enjoyment

  1. 1

    Different demigods are worshiped for success in particular material matters. Such success does not make a person expert in every kind of material enjoyment.

  2. 2

    The real problems of material life are birth, death, old age and disease. Neither demigod blessings nor advancement in material science solves these problems.

  3. 3

    Parīkṣit Mahārāja showed intelligence by leaving material enjoyment and surrendering to the Lord through hearing His messages from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Intelligent persons should seek permanent life by returning home, back to Godhead.

Key points from the purport
  • The real problem of life in the material world is to solve the question of birth, death, old age and disease.
  • But aspirations for material enjoyment by endeavoring persons are condemned.
  • Intelligent persons should try to avoid these aspirations and seek instead the permanent life by returning home, back to Godhead.

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 2.3.2-7 quotesBG 7.20

In other words, all such persons who aspire after gaining some or all of the material objects of enjoyment, or the gross materialistic persons, are on the whole less intelligent, as confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.20).

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 3: Pure Devotional Service: The Change in Heart

Everyone should worship the Supreme Lord and engage the senses in devotion that changes the heart.

Back to this verse in chapter 2.3
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. brahmathe absolute
  2. varcasaeffulgence
  3. kāmaḥ tubut one who desires in that way
  4. yajetado worship
  5. brahmaṇaḥof the Vedas
  6. patimthe master
  7. indramthe King of heaven
  8. indriya-kāmaḥ tubut one who desires strong sense organs
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Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 2.3

    In this verse: “king”, “kingdom”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 2.3

    In this verse: “worship”, “worshiped”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 2.3

    In this verse: “material”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Am I seeking only temporary improvements, or also an answer to life's lasting problems?

Practice

Set aside five minutes usually spent pursuing material enjoyment to read the Lord's messages in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

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Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

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

3 lectures given on it. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Show 1 more lecture on it
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Connected stories

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

Live this todaySeek Lasting Life Beyond Material EnjoymentThis 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 2.3.2-7? Get an answer from the verses themselves.