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Study a Verse

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 4: The Process of Creation

2.4.15 2.4.17

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 2.4.16

Mukti· Liberation

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 2.4.12inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

विचक्षणा यच्चरणोपसादनात्

सङ्गं व्युदस्योभयतोऽन्तरात्मन: ।

विन्दन्ति हि ब्रह्मगतिं गतक्लमा-

स्तस्मै सुभद्रश्रवसे नमो नम: ॥ १६ ॥

vicakṣaṇā yac-caraṇopasādanāt

saṅgaṁ vyudasyobhayato ’ntar-ātmanaḥ

vindanti hi brahma-gatiṁ gata-klamās

tasmai subhadra-śravase namo namaḥ

Translation

Let me offer my respectful obeisances again and again unto the all-auspicious Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The highly intellectual, simply by surrendering unto His lotus feet, are relieved of all attachments to present and future existences and without difficulty progress toward spiritual existence.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Surrender Opens the Way to Loving Service

1
Intelligent persons take seriously Kṛṣṇa’s instruction to become His pure devotees and surrender exclusively to Him. He promises protection and eternal transcendental loving service.
2
Devotional service rests on love of God, not merely routine performance. One who surrenders to serve the Lord out of spontaneous love understands the essence of Vedic knowledge.
3
Pure devotees can attain spiritual perfection without difficult methods of practice. Simple devotional activities, such as glorifying and remembering the Lord under a bona fide spiritual master, lead to the highest perfection.

Key points from the purport

And this perfection of human life is called brahma-gati, or the progressive march in spiritual existence.
Attainment of this perfection of life is easily available to a pure devotee of the Lord without his undergoing any difficult method of perfection.
Similarly, one should not be attracted by the jugglery of karma-kāṇḍa or jñāna-kāṇḍa or even the gymnastic performances of yoga, but skillfully should take to the simple performances of kīrtanam, smaraṇam, etc., under a bona fide spiritual master, and without any difficulty attain the highest perfection.

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· 2

The purport of SB 2.4.16 quotesBG 18.64

In the last phase of His instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.64-66) He instructed most confidentially as follows:

The purport of SB 2.4.16 quotesSB 10.14.4

nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām. Bhakti-yoga is the highest quality of perfection to be achieved by the intelligent person in lieu of performing a large quantity of spiritual activities.

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

Uncertainty → Awe. The scale of reality widens dramatically.

Chapters 4–7 of Canto 2: The creation, cosmic Person and incarnations. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Chapter 4: The Process of Creation

Parīkṣit fixes his mind on Kṛṣṇa and asks about creation; Śukadeva offers prayers before answering.

Back to this verse in chapter 2.4

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

vicakṣaṇāḥhighly intellectual
yatwhose
caraṇa-upasādanātsimply dedicating oneself unto the lotus feet
saṅgamattachment
vyudasyagiving up completely
ubhayataḥfor present and future existence
antaḥ-ātmanaḥof the heart and soul
vindantimoves progressively

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
Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender
Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 2.4
In this verse: “surrendering”, “surrender”
Bhakti · Devotion and loving service
How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 2.4
In this verse: “devotional service”, “devotees”
Jñāna · Spiritual insight
Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 2.4
In this verse: “knowledge”, “understands”

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

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Where could I replace merely routine practice with a sincere desire to serve Kṛṣṇa lovingly?

Practice

Spend one minute remembering Kṛṣṇa and offer a sincere prayer of surrender, asking to serve Him with love.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Connected stories

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

The purport quotesSB 10.14.4

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 2.4's connections

Live this todaySurrender Opens the Way to Loving ServiceThis 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 2.4.16? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

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