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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

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 7: Scheduled Incarnations with Specific Functions

2.7.36 2.7.38

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 2.7.37

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees

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

देवद्विषां निगमवर्त्मनि निष्ठितानां

पूर्भिर्मयेन विहिताभिरद‍ृश्यतूर्भि: ।

लोकान् घ्नतां मतिविमोहमतिप्रलोभं

वेषं विधाय बहु भाष्यत औपधर्म्यम् ॥ ३७ ॥

deva-dviṣāṁ nigama-vartmani niṣṭhitānāṁ

pūrbhir mayena vihitābhir adṛśya-tūrbhiḥ

lokān ghnatāṁ mati-vimoham atipralobhaṁ

veṣaṁ vidhāya bahu bhāṣyata aupadharmyam

Translation

When the atheists, after being well versed in the Vedic scientific knowledge, annihilate inhabitants of different planets, flying unseen in the sky on well-built rockets prepared by the great scientist Maya, the Lord will bewilder their minds by dressing Himself attractively as Buddha and will preach on subreligious principles.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Religious Qualities Lead Toward Devotion

1
The Buddha incarnation described here is not the Buddha known in present human history. According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, this incarnation appeared in a different Kali age.
2
Nonviolence is an important quality of a religious person, and humility and freedom from pride must come first. One must also learn tolerance, simplicity and control of the senses.
3
Moral instruction alone is only nearness to religious principles when God is not at the center. Ultimately, one must accept the Lord and become His devotee through devotional service.

Key points from the purport

Lord Buddha incarnates at a time when the people are most materialistic and preaches commonsense religious principles.
One must offer respects to the great religious preachers and spiritual leaders and also train the senses for controlled action, learning to be unattached to family and home, and enacting devotional service to the Lord, etc. At the ultimate stage one has to accept the Lord and become His devotee; otherwise there is no religion.
In religious principles there must be God in the center; otherwise simple moral instructions are merely subreligious principles, generally known as upadharma, or nearness to religious principles.

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

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

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

deva-dviṣāmof those who were envious of the devotees of the Lord
nigamathe Vedas
vartmanion the path of
niṣṭhitānāmof the well situated
pūrbhiḥby rockets
mayenamade by the great scientist Maya
vihitābhiḥmade by
adṛśya-tūrbhiḥunseen in the sky

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
Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct
Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 2.7
In this verse: “principles”, “religious”
Bhakti · Devotion and loving service
How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 2.7
In this verse: “devotional service”, “devotee”
Jñāna · Spiritual insight
Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 2.7
In this verse: “knowledge”

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

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How could humility help you become less harmful toward other living beings?

Practice

In one conversation today, practice humility by listening without asserting your importance, remembering the goal of service to the Lord.

The story around it

The stories this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayReligious Qualities Lead Toward DevotionThis 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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