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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 3 · The Status Quo · 33 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 3 · Chapter 1: Questions by Vidura
3.1.173.1.19

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.1.18

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Vidurasince 3.1.11inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

पुरेषु पुण्योपवनाद्रिकुञ्जे-

ष्वपङ्कतोयेषु सरित्सर:सु ।

अनन्तलिङ्गै: समलङ्कृतेषु

चचार तीर्थायतनेष्वनन्य: ॥ १८ ॥

pureṣu puṇyopavanādri-kuñjeṣv

apaṅka-toyeṣu sarit-saraḥsu

ananta-liṅgaiḥ samalaṅkṛteṣu

cacāra tīrthāyataneṣv ananyaḥ

Translation

He began to travel alone, thinking only of Kṛṣṇa, through various holy places like Ayodhyā, Dvārakā and Mathurā. He traveled where the grove, hill, orchard, river and lake are all pure and sinless and where the forms of the Unlimited decorate the temples. Thus he performed the pilgrim’s progress.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Recognize Kṛṣṇa in His Arcā Forms

  1. 1

    Vidura traveled alone through holy places, thinking only of Kṛṣṇa. The temples there were decorated with forms of the Unlimited.

  2. 2

    The Lord’s arcā forms possess the same unlimited potency as His personal forms. The purport compares them to authorized postboxes that carry out the work of the postal system.

  3. 3

    Vidura saw Kṛṣṇa in the different arcā forms, regardless of atheists calling them idols. Ultimately, he could realize Kṛṣṇa alone and nothing else.

Key points from the purport
  • The forms of the Lord are mentioned here as ananta-liṅga.
  • Such forms of the Lord have unlimited potency, the same as that of the Lord Himself.
  • Vidura, therefore, could see nothing but Kṛṣṇa in the different arcā forms, and ultimately he was able to realize Kṛṣṇa alone and nothing else.

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

Separation → Devotional remembrance. Uddhava's tears and silence make remembrance emotionally immediate.

Chapters 1–4 of Canto 3: Vidura meets Uddhava and hears of Kṛṣṇa. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 1: Questions by Vidura

Vidura leaves home, travels to holy places, and asks Uddhava about Kṛṣṇa’s associates and his relatives.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.1
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. pureṣuholy places like Ayodhyā, Dvārakā and Mathurā
  2. puṇyapiety
  3. upavanathe groves
  4. adrihill
  5. kuñjeṣuin the orchards
  6. apaṅkawithout sin
  7. toyeṣuin the water
  8. saritriver
3

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

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 does understanding the Lord’s unlimited potency change my view of His arcā form?

Practice

Spend a minute reflecting on the authorized postbox example and how it explains the potency of the Lord’s arcā form.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRecognize Kṛṣṇa in His Arcā FormsThis 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 3.1.18? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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