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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 2.6.13-16

Who is speaking and story frame

अहं भवान् भवश्चैव त इमे मुनयोऽग्रजा: ।

सुरासुरनरा नागा: खगा मृगसरीसृपा: ॥ १३ ॥

गन्धर्वाप्सरसो यक्षा रक्षोभूतगणोरगा: ।

पशव: पितर: सिद्धा विद्याध्राश्चारणा द्रुमा: ॥ १४ ॥

अन्ये च विविधा जीवा जलस्थलनभौकस: ।

ग्रहर्क्षकेतवस्तारास्तडित: स्तनयित्नव: ॥ १५ ॥

सर्वं पुरुष एवेदं भूतं भव्यं भवच्च यत् ।

तेनेदमावृतं विश्वं वितस्तिमधितिष्ठति ॥ १६ ॥

ahaṁ bhavān bhavaś caiva

ta ime munayo ’grajāḥ

surāsura-narā nāgāḥ

khagā mṛga-sarīsṛpāḥ

gandharvāpsaraso yakṣā

rakṣo-bhūta-gaṇoragāḥ

paśavaḥ pitaraḥ siddhā

vidyādhrāś cāraṇā drumāḥ

anye ca vividhā jīvā

jala-sthala-nabhaukasaḥ

graharkṣa-ketavas tārās

taḍitaḥ stanayitnavaḥ

sarvaṁ puruṣa evedaṁ

bhūtaṁ bhavyaṁ bhavac ca yat

tenedam āvṛtaṁ viśvaṁ

vitastim adhitiṣṭhati

Translation

Beginning from me [Brahmā] down to you and Bhava [Śiva], all the great sages who were born before you, the demigods, the demons, the Nāgas, the human beings, the birds, the beasts, as well as the reptiles, etc., and all phenomenal manifestations of the universes, namely the planets, stars, asteroids, luminaries, lightning, thunder, and the inhabitants of the different planetary systems, namely the Gandharvas, Apsarās, Yakṣas, Rakṣas, Bhūtagaṇas, Uragas, Paśus, Pitās, Siddhas, Vidyādharas, Cāraṇas, and all other different varieties of living entities, including the birds, beasts, trees and everything that be, are all covered by the universal form of the Lord at all times, namely past, present and future, although He is transcendental to all of them, eternally existing in a form not exceeding nine inches.

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

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Everything Rests on Kṛṣṇa, Yet He Transcends

  1. 1

    The Supreme Personality of Godhead expands the universal form through His partial representation as Supersoul. This universal form includes all varieties of living beings and material manifestations.

  2. 2

    Everything rests on the potency of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, yet He remains distinct from and transcendental to creation. He is the Supreme Person who controls everything.

  3. 3

    Living beings are one with the Lord in quality but never equal to Him in quantity, like golden ornaments compared with the stock of gold. This simultaneous oneness and difference is called acintya-bhedābheda-tattva.

Key points from the purport
  • The Supreme Personality of Godhead, by His partial representation, measuring not more than nine inches as Supersoul, expands by His potency in the shape of the universal form, which includes everything manifested in different varieties of organic and inorganic materials.
  • The manifested varieties of the universe are therefore not different from the Lord, just as golden ornaments of different shapes and forms are nondifferent from the original stock reserve of gold.
  • Everything rests on the potency of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and still the Lord is different from and transcendental to all such identities.

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 2.6.13-16 quotesBG 9.4

In the Bhagavad-gītā (9.4-5) He is therefore said to be Yogeśvara.

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

Further reading

Chapter 6: Puruṣa-sūkta Confirmed

Brahmā describes the universal form, his sacrifice, and the Lord’s control over creation, maintenance, and destruction.

Back to this verse in chapter 2.6
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ahammyself
  2. bhavānyourself
  3. bhavaḥLord Śiva
  4. caalso
  5. evacertainly
  6. tethey
  7. imeall
  8. munayaḥthe great sages
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Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Āśraya · The summum bonum

    Who is the shelter of everything? · Subject 10 of 10

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 2.6

    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

How can I recognize my connection with the Lord without thinking myself equal to Him?

Practice

Notice one living being and one material object today, and remember that both rest on Kṛṣṇa’s potency while He remains transcendental.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayEverything Rests on Kṛṣṇa, Yet He TranscendsThis 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 2.6.13-16? Get an answer from the verses themselves.