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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 9: Answers by Citing the Lord’s Version

2.9.35 2.9.37

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 2.9.36

Āśraya· The supreme shelter

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:The Personality of Godheadsince 2.9.31inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitThe Supreme Lord → Lord Brahmā

एतावदेव जिज्ञास्यं तत्त्वजिज्ञासुनात्मन: ।

अन्वयव्यतिरेकाभ्यां यत् स्यात् सर्वत्र सर्वदा ॥ ३६ ॥

etāvad eva jijñāsyaṁ

tattva-jijñāsunātmanaḥ

anvaya-vyatirekābhyāṁ

yat syāt sarvatra sarvadā

Translation

A person who is searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, must certainly search for it up to this, in all circumstances, in all space and time, and both directly and indirectly.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Seek the Lord Through Sincere Inquiry

1
The mystery of bhakti-yoga is the highest objective of inquiry into self-realization. The real goal of life is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not sense gratification.
2
Sincere inquiry requires labor, perseverance and the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master in disciplic succession. Such a teacher explains the truth through direct and indirect evidence from revealed scriptures and never claims to be the Lord Himself.
3
The direction of revealed knowledge is toward Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should think of Him, become His devotee, worship Him and offer Him obeisances; devotional service is the goal.

Key points from the purport

The lowest of human beings can be elevated to the highest stage of devotional life if they are trained by the bona fide spiritual master well versed in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.
Therefore the devotional service of the Lord with perfect knowledge through the training of a bona fide spiritual master is advised for everyone, even if one happens not to be a human being.
The Lord is all-pervading, and therefore service unto Him is also all-pervading.

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· 5

The purport of SB 2.9.36 quotesBG 18.61

In the Bhagavad-gītā (18.61) it is clearly said: The Lord is situated in the heart of all living beings (as Paramātmā), and He is controlling all of them in the material world under the agency of His external energy.

The purport of SB 2.9.36 quotesBG 18.65

In the same Bhagavad-gītā (18.65) the Lord directs as follows: It is clear from this verse of the Bhagavad-gītā that the direction of the Lord is that one should be God-minded, a devotee of the Lord, a worshiper of the Lord, and must offer all obeisances unto Lord Kṛṣṇa.

The purport of SB 2.9.36 quotesBG 7.15

In the Bhagavad-gītā (7.15) also it is said: Because the so-called great leaders of human society are ignorant of this great knowledge of bhakti-yoga and are always engaged in ignoble acts of sense gratification, bewildered by the external energy of the Lord, they are stubborn rebels against the supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they never agree to…

The purport of SB 2.9.36 quotesSB 5.5.5

karmātmakaṁ yena śarīra-bandhaḥ. As long as one is blind to inquiring after self-realization, all material activities, however great they may be, are all different kinds of defeat because the aim of human life is not fulfilled by such unwanted and profitless activities.

The purport of SB 2.9.36 quotesSB 5.5.6

na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat. It is one’s mind that generates different kinds of bodies for suffering different kinds of material pangs.

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

Inquiry → Conviction. Divine knowledge resolves fundamental cosmic uncertainty.

Chapters 8–10 of Canto 2: Parīkṣit questions; Brahmā receives revelation. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Chapter 9: Answers by Citing the Lord’s Version

The Lord receives Brahmā, explains His eternal existence, and instructs him to remain fixed and free from pride.

Back to this verse in chapter 2.9

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

etāvatup to this
evacertainly
jijñāsyamis to be inquired
tattvathe Absolute Truth
jijñāsunāby the student
ātmanaḥof the Self
anvayadirectly
vyatirekābhyāmindirectly

Key ideas in this verse

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

Āśraya · The summum bonum
Who is the shelter of everything? · Subject 10 of 10
Bhakti · Devotion and loving service
How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 2.9
In this verse: “devotional service”, “devotee”, “bhakti-yoga”
Jñāna · Spiritual insight
Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 2.9
In this verse: “absolute truth”, “knowledge”, “inquiry”
Moha · Material attachment
The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 2.9
In this verse: “sense gratification”

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Are my spiritual inquiries helping me serve Lord Kṛṣṇa, or mainly satisfying my curiosity?

Practice

Write down one sincere question about how to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa, to ask a bona fide spiritual master.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.

Quoted in 4 lectures. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Quoted in 4 lectures

In each of these he quotes this verse while speaking on another verse or subject. "Find the quote" opens the transcript at that spot.

Connected stories

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

The purport quotesSB 5.5.5 SB 5.5.6

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 2.9's connections

Live this todaySeek the Lord Through Sincere InquiryOne of the 108 chosen lessons: a practice and a question from this verse

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 2.9.36? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

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