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

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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 15: Description of the Kingdom of God
3.15.413.15.43

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.15.42

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The sagessince 3.15.32inside 4 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → ViduraLord Brahmā → the demigods

अत्रोपसृष्टमिति चोत्स्मितमिन्दिराया:

स्वानां धिया विरचितं बहुसौष्ठवाढ्यम् ।

मह्यं भवस्य भवतां च भजन्तमङ्गं

नेमुर्निरीक्ष्य नवितृप्तद‍ृशो मुदा कै: ॥ ४२ ॥

atropasṛṣṭam iti cotsmitam indirāyāḥ

svānāṁ dhiyā viracitaṁ bahu-sauṣṭhavāḍhyam

mahyaṁ bhavasya bhavatāṁ ca bhajantam aṅgaṁ

nemur nirīkṣya na vitṛpta-dṛśo mudā kaiḥ

Translation

The exquisite beauty of Nārāyaṇa, being many times magnified by the intelligence of His devotees, was so attractive that it defeated the pride of the goddess of fortune in being the most beautiful. My dear demigods, the Lord who thus manifested Himself is worshipable by me, by Lord Śiva and by all of you. The sages regarded Him with unsated eyes and joyously bowed their heads at His lotus feet.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord’s Beauty Pleases His Devotees

  1. 1

    The beauty of the Lord surpasses even the beauty of the goddess of fortune. Kṛṣṇa is called Madana-mohana because His beauty enchants even Cupid.

  2. 2

    The Lord is bhakta-vatsala, one who wants to please His devotees. He assumes features that give them pleasure.

  3. 3

    The Lord appeared in His most beautiful feature before the Kumāras. They joyfully bowed at His lotus feet and wanted to continue seeing Him more and more.

Key points from the purport
  • The beauty of the Lord was so enchanting that it could not be sufficiently described.
  • The goddess of fortune is supposed to be the most beautiful sight within the spiritual and material creations of the Lord; she has a sense of being the most beautiful, yet her beauty was defeated when the Lord appeared.
  • In other words, the beauty of the goddess of fortune is secondary in the presence of the Lord.

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 15: Description of the Kingdom of God

Brahmā describes Vaikuṇṭha, where the Kumāras curse two doorkeepers and then behold the Lord.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.15
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. atrahere, in the matter of the beauty
  2. upasṛṣṭamcurbed down
  3. itithus
  4. caand
  5. utsmitamthe pride of her beauty
  6. indirāyāḥof the goddess of fortune
  7. svānāmof His own devotees
  8. dhiyāby intelligence
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 3.15

    In this verse: “devotees”, “worshipable”

  • Dainya · Humility

    Ego yields to insight, service and surrender. · Theme in SB 3.15

    In this verse: “pride”

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

What can I learn from the sages’ joyful desire to keep seeing the Lord?

Practice

Bow your head in reverence to the Lord and reflect briefly on His desire to please His devotees.

5

The story around it

The stories this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

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

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 3.15's connections

Live this todayThe Lord’s Beauty Pleases His DevoteesThis 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 3.15.42? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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