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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.
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Canto 2 · Chapter 6: Puruṣa-sūkta Confirmed
2.6.42.6.6

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 2.6.5

Sarga· Creation
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

रोमाण्युद्भिज्जजातीनां यैर्वा यज्ञस्तु सम्भृत: ।

केशश्मश्रुनखान्यस्य शिलालोहाभ्रविद्युताम् ॥ ५ ॥

romāṇy udbhijja-jātīnāṁ

yair vā yajñas tu sambhṛtaḥ

keśa-śmaśru-nakhāny asya

śilā-lohābhra-vidyutām

Translation

The hairs on His body are the cause of all vegetation, particularly of those trees which are required as ingredients for sacrifice. The hairs on His head and face are reservoirs for the clouds, and His nails are the breeding ground of electricity, stones and iron ores.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord Supplies Life’s Necessities

  1. 1

    The hairs on the Lord’s body cause all vegetation, especially trees needed for sacrifice.

  2. 2

    Clouds rest on the hairs of His head, and His nails generate electricity, stones and iron ores.

  3. 3

    All necessities of life can be collected from the person of the Lord. The Vedas affirm that He is the supreme cause of all causes.

Key points from the purport
  • The polished nails of the Lord generate electricity, and the clouds rest on the hairs of His head.
  • One can therefore collect all sorts of necessities of life from the person of the Lord, and therefore the Vedas affirm that everything that is produced is caused by the Lord.
  • The Lord is the supreme cause of all causes.

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. romāṇihairs on the body
  2. udbhijjavegetables
  3. jātīnāmof the kingdoms
  4. yaiḥby which
  5. vāeither
  6. yajñaḥsacrifices
  7. tubut
  8. sambhṛtaḥparticularly served
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Sarga · The creation of the universe

    Where does the universe come from? · Subject 1 of 10

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

Which everyday necessity reminds you that you depend on the Lord?

Practice

Before using one plant-based item today, pause to acknowledge its ultimate source in the Lord.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord Supplies Life’s NecessitiesThis 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.

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