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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.14.9

Who is speaking and story frame

इष्ट्वाग्निजिह्वं पयसा पुरुषं यजुषां पतिम् ।

निम्‍लोचत्यर्क आसीनमग्‍न्यगारे समाहितम् ॥ ९ ॥

iṣṭvāgni-jihvaṁ payasā

puruṣaṁ yajuṣāṁ patim

nimlocaty arka āsīnam

agny-agāre samāhitam

Translation

The sun was setting, and the sage was sitting in trance after offering oblations to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, whose tongue is the sacrificial fire.

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

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Satisfying Viṣṇu Satisfies All

  1. 1

    At sunset, the sage sat in trance after offering oblations to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu.

  2. 2

    Fire is considered the tongue of Lord Viṣṇu. He thus accepts the grains and clarified butter offered into the sacrificial fire.

  3. 3

    Lord Viṣṇu is the master of all sacrifices. His satisfaction includes the satisfaction of all demigods and other living beings.

Key points from the purport
  • Fire is considered to be the tongue of the Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu, and oblations of grains and clarified butter offered to the fire are thus accepted by Him.
  • That is the principle of all sacrifices, of which Lord Viṣṇu is the master.
  • In other words, the satisfaction of Lord Viṣṇu includes the satisfaction of all demigods and other living beings.

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

Threat and anger → Rescue and wonder. Divine protection appears amid cosmic confrontation.

Chapters 13–19 of Canto 3: Varāha, Jaya and Vijaya, Hiraṇyākṣa. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 14: Pregnancy of Diti in the Evening

Diti desires sons, her husband performs a forbidden act, and their sons’ destruction by the Lord is foretold.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.14
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. iṣṭvāafter worshiping
  2. agnifire
  3. jihvamtongue
  4. payasāby oblation
  5. puruṣamunto the Supreme Person
  6. yajuṣāmof all sacrifices
  7. patimmaster
  8. nimlocatiwhile setting
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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

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 can I keep the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead at the center of my worship?

Practice

Before worship today, pause and consciously make Lord Viṣṇu’s satisfaction your aim.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySatisfying Viṣṇu Satisfies AllThis 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 3.14.9? Get an answer from the verses themselves.