1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 2 · The Cosmic Manifestation · 10 chapters

12345678910

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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 6: Puruṣa-sūkta Confirmed
2.6.282.6.30

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 2.6.29

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Brahmāsince 2.6.1inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Brahmā → Nārada Muni

ततस्ते भ्रातर इमे प्रजानां पतयो नव । अयजन् व्यक्तमव्यक्तं पुरुषं सुसमाहिता: ॥ २९ ॥

tatas te bhrātara ime

prajānāṁ patayo nava

ayajan vyaktam avyaktaṁ

puruṣaṁ su-samāhitāḥ

Translation

My dear son, thereafter your nine brothers, who are the masters of living creatures, performed the sacrifice with proper rituals to satisfy both the manifested and nonmanifested personalities.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

See Through Scripture and Love

  1. 1

    The demigods, such as Indra, control material affairs. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is transcendental, beyond the material atmosphere.

  2. 2

    Our eyes are not sufficiently qualified to see everything. Rather than disbelieving what we cannot see, we should learn to see through authentic scriptures.

  3. 3

    The Lord can be seen by qualified eyes tinged with the ointment of love of God. Mere insistence on seeing with ordinary eyes is not enough.

Key points from the purport
  • The manifested personalities are the demigods like the ruler of the heavenly kingdom, Indra, and his associates; and the nonmanifested personality is the Lord Himself.
  • The manifested personalities are mundane controllers of the material affairs, whereas the nonmanifested Personality of Godhead is transcendental, beyond the range of the material atmosphere.
  • So both the powerful demigods and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are nonmanifested to the covered eyes of the modern man.

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

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
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tataḥthereafter
  2. teyour
  3. bhrātaraḥbrothers
  4. imethese
  5. prajānāmof the living creatures
  6. patayaḥmasters
  7. navanine
  8. ayajanperformed
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

  • Moha · Material attachment

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

    In this verse: “material”

  • Prema · Transcendental love

    The intimacy and sweetness of devotion to Kṛṣṇa. · Theme in SB 2.6

    In this verse: “love”

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

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Do I treat what my eyes can see as the only measure of what is real?

Practice

Reread this verse and purport today, noting one truth that ordinary eyesight alone cannot reveal.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySee Through Scripture and LoveThis 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 2.6.29? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories