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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 ›
Canto 2 · Chapter 7: Scheduled Incarnations with Specific Functions
2.7.252.7.27

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 2.7.26

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Brahmāsince 2.7.1inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Brahmā → Nārada Muni

भूमे: सुरेतरवरूथविमर्दिताया:

क्लेशव्ययाय कलया सितकृष्णकेश: ।

जात: करिष्यति जनानुपलक्ष्यमार्ग:

कर्माणि चात्ममहिमोपनिबन्धनानि ॥ २६ ॥

bhūmeḥ suretara-varūtha-vimarditāyāḥ

kleśa-vyayāya kalayā sita-kṛṣṇa-keśaḥ

jātaḥ kariṣyati janānupalakṣya-mārgaḥ

karmāṇi cātma-mahimopanibandhanāni

Translation

When the world is overburdened by the fighting strength of kings who have no faith in God, the Lord, just to diminish the distress of the world, descends with His plenary portion. The Lord comes in His original form, with beautiful black hair. And just to expand His transcendental glories, He acts extraordinarily. No one can properly estimate how great He is.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa Descends to Encourage His Devotees

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Baladeva is His first personal expansion. They appear to diminish the world’s distress.

  2. 2

    The Lord descends in His spiritual body through His internal potency, without accepting a material body. Though the oldest person, He remains ever youthful and is known by bona fide devotees, not by limited sense perception.

  3. 3

    The Lord does not need to come personally to remove the world’s burden. He comes to exhibit transcendental activities that His pure devotees delight in chanting and discussing.

Key points from the purport
  • Both Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Baladeva are one Supreme Personality of Godhead.
  • Both Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Baladeva have such hair on Their heads, and thus even in advanced age They appeared like young boys sixteen years old.
  • Therefore the Lord, when He comes here, has not a material body, but a spiritual body.

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 2.7.26 quotesBG 7.25

In the Bhagavad-gītā (7.25) it is said by the Lord, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ.

The purport of SB 2.7.26 quotesBG 9.13

In the Bhagavad-gītā (9.13-14) it is stated that the mahātmās, great devotees of the Lord, take pleasure in chanting of the activities of the Lord.

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 7: Scheduled Incarnations with Specific Functions

Brahmā recounts the Lord’s incarnations and explains that unalloyed surrender enables one to understand Him.

Back to this verse in chapter 2.7
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. bhūmeḥof the entire world
  2. sura-itaraother than godly persons
  3. varūthasoldiers
  4. vimarditāyāḥdistressed by the burden
  5. kleśamiseries
  6. vyayāyafor the matter of diminishing
  7. kalayāalong with His plenary expansion
  8. sita-kṛṣṇanot only beautiful but also black
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 2.7

    In this verse: “distress”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 2.7

    In this verse: “kings”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 2.7

    In this verse: “devotees”

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

How can I turn more of my attention toward Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental activities?

Practice

Spend two minutes praising Kṛṣṇa’s ever-youthful spiritual form as an act of devotional service.

5

The story around it

The stories this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

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

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 2.7's connections

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Descends to Encourage His DevoteesThis 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 2.7.26? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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