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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 2.7.43-45

Who is speaking and story frame

वेदाहमङ्ग परमस्य हि योगमायां

यूयं भवश्च भगवानथ दैत्यवर्य: ।

पत्नी मनो: स च मनुश्च तदात्मजाश्च

प्राचीनबर्हिर्ऋभुरङ्ग उत ध्रुवश्च ॥ ४३ ॥

इक्ष्वाकुरैलमुचुकुन्दविदेहगाधि-

रघ्वम्बरीषसगरा गयनाहुषाद्या: ।

मान्धात्रलर्कशतधन्वनुरन्तिदेवा

देवव्रतो बलिरमूर्त्तरयो दिलीप: ॥ ४४ ॥

सौभर्युतङ्कशिबिदेवलपिप्पलाद-

सारस्वतोद्धवपराशरभूरिषेणा: ।

येऽन्ये विभीषणहनूमदुपेन्द्रदत्त-

पार्थार्ष्टिषेणविदुरश्रुतदेववर्या: ॥ ४५ ॥

vedāham aṅga paramasya hi yoga-māyāṁ

yūyaṁ bhavaś ca bhagavān atha daitya-varyaḥ

patnī manoḥ sa ca manuś ca tad-ātmajāś ca

prācīnabarhir ṛbhur aṅga uta dhruvaś ca

ikṣvākur aila-mucukunda-videha-gādhi-

raghv-ambarīṣa-sagarā gaya-nāhuṣādyāḥ

māndhātr-alarka-śatadhanv-anu-rantidevā

devavrato balir amūrttarayo dilīpaḥ

saubhary-utaṅka-śibi-devala-pippalāda-

sārasvatoddhava-parāśara-bhūriṣeṇāḥ

ye ’nye vibhīṣaṇa-hanūmad-upendradatta-

pārthārṣṭiṣeṇa-vidura-śrutadeva-varyāḥ

Translation

O Nārada, although the potencies of the Lord are unknowable and immeasurable, still, because we are all surrendered souls, we know how He acts through yoga-māyā potencies. And, similarly, the potencies of the Lord are also known to the all-powerful Śiva, the great king of the atheist family, namely Prahlāda Mahārāja, Svāyambhuva Manu, his wife Śatarūpā, his sons and daughters like Priyavrata, Uttānapāda, Ākūti, Devahūti and Prasūti, Prācīnabarhi, Ṛbhu, Aṅga the father of Vena, Mahārāja Dhruva, Ikṣvāku, Aila, Mucukunda, Mahārāja Janaka, Gādhi, Raghu, Ambarīṣa, Sagara, Gaya, Nāhuṣa, Māndhātā, Alarka, Śatadhanve, Anu, Rantideva, Bhīṣma, Bali, Amūrttaraya, Dilīpa, Saubhari, Utaṅka, Śibi, Devala, Pippalāda, Sārasvata, Uddhava, Parāśara, Bhūriṣeṇa, Vibhīṣaṇa, Hanumān, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Arjuna, Ārṣṭiṣeṇa, Vidura, Śrutadeva, etc.

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

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord Becomes Known Through Surrender

  1. 1

    Surrendered devotees know how the Lord acts through His yoga-māyā potencies. They understand the potency of His name, qualities, pastimes and personality.

  2. 2

    Limited senses and material instruments cannot fully measure even the Lord’s material energies. Mental speculation alone cannot reveal His spiritual potency.

  3. 3

    One should learn by surrendering to the Lord and accepting the authority of His great devotees. By the grace of yoga-māyā, understanding grows in proportion to one’s surrender.

Key points from the purport
  • All the great devotees of the Lord, as mentioned above, who flourished in the past or present, and all the devotees of the Lord who will come in the future, are aware of the different potencies of the Lord along with the potency of His name, quality, pastimes, entourage, personality, etc. And how do they know?
  • One should gain knowledge by surrendering unto the Lord and by acknowledging the authority of the persons mentioned herein.
  • The Lord is unlimited and, by the grace of the yoga-māyā, helps the surrendered soul to know Him proportionately with the advance of one’s surrender.

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 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. vedaknow it
  2. ahammyself
  3. aṅgaO Nārada
  4. paramasyaof the Supreme
  5. hicertainly
  6. yoga-māyāmpotency
  7. yūyamyourself
  8. bhavaḥŚiva
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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

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 2.7

    In this verse: “king”

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 2.7

    In this verse: “father”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 2.7

    In this verse: “surrendered”

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 willing are you to learn from surrendered devotees rather than rely only on your own speculation?

Practice

Choose one teaching from this purport and read it again with a sincere desire to accept its guidance.

5

The story around it

The stories this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord Becomes Known Through SurrenderThis 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 2.7.43-45? Get an answer from the verses themselves.