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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 11: Calculation of Time, from the Atom
3.11.353.11.37

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.11.36

Sarga· Creation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Maitreya Ṛṣisince 3.11.18inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

तस्यैव चान्ते कल्पोऽभूद् यं पाद्ममभिचक्षते ।

यद्धरेर्नाभिसरस आसील्लोकसरोरुहम् ॥ ३६ ॥

tasyaiva cānte kalpo ’bhūd

yaṁ pādmam abhicakṣate

yad dharer nābhi-sarasa

āsīl loka-saroruham

Translation

The millennium which followed the first Brāhma millennium is known as the Pādma-kalpa because in that millennium the universal lotus flower grew out of the navel reservoir of water of the Personality of Godhead, Hari.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Universal Lotus Comes from Hari

  1. 1

    The millennium following the Brāhma-kalpa is called the Pādma-kalpa.

  2. 2

    It receives this name because the universal lotus grows in that millennium. The lotus comes from the navel reservoir of the Personality of Godhead, Hari.

  3. 3

    Certain Purāṇas also call the Pādma-kalpa the Pitṛ-kalpa.

Key points from the purport
  • The millennium following the Brāhma-kalpa is known as the Pādma-kalpa because the universal lotus grows in that millennium.
  • The Pādma-kalpa is also called the Pitṛ-kalpa in certain Purāṇas.

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

Mystery → Cosmic wonder. The origin of the world is revealed through inquiry and divine grace.

Chapters 5–12 of Canto 3: Creation and Brahmā's bewilderment. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 11: Calculation of Time, from the Atom

Maitreya describes time from atomic measurements to Brahmā’s lifespan, along with cycles of creation and devastation.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.11
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tasyaof the Brāhma-kalpa
  2. evacertainly
  3. caalso
  4. anteat the end of
  5. kalpaḥmillennium
  6. abhūtcame into existence
  7. yamwhich
  8. pādmamPādma
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Sarga · The creation of the universe

    Where does the universe come from? · Subject 1 of 10

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does the universal lotus coming from Hari shape my understanding of the universe’s origin?

Practice

Reread the translation slowly, giving attention to Hari as the source of the universal lotus.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Universal Lotus Comes from HariThis 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 3.11.36? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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