1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

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

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 3 · The Status Quo · 33 chapters

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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 26: Fundamental Principles of Material Nature
3.26.663.26.68

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.26.67

Sarga· Creation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 3.26.10inside 4 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → ViduraLord Kapila → Devahūti

विष्णुर्गत्यैव चरणौ नोदतिष्ठत्तदा विराट् ।

नाडीर्नद्यो लोहितेन नोदतिष्ठत्तदा विराट् ॥ ६७ ॥

viṣṇur gatyaiva caraṇau

nodatiṣṭhat tadā virāṭ

nāḍīr nadyo lohitena

nodatiṣṭhat tadā virāṭ

Translation

Lord Viṣṇu entered His feet with the faculty of locomotion, but the virāṭ-puruṣa refused to stand up even then. The rivers entered His blood vessels with the blood and the power of circulation, but still the Cosmic Being could not be made to stir.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Movement and Circulation Alone Are Not Enough

  1. 1

    Lord Viṣṇu entered the feet of the virāṭ-puruṣa with the faculty of locomotion. Even then, the virāṭ-puruṣa did not stand up.

  2. 2

    The rivers entered His blood vessels with the blood and the power of circulation. Still, the Cosmic Being did not stir.

  3. 3

    Neither the faculty of movement nor the power of circulation was sufficient to make the Cosmic Being rise.

How it feels

Entanglement → Insight and liberation. Inquiry matures into instruction in devotion and spiritual nature.

Chapters 25–33 of Canto 3: Kapila instructs Devahūti. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 26: Fundamental Principles of Material Nature

Kapila explains material nature, consciousness, time, the elements, and the manifestation of the universal form.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.26
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. viṣṇuḥLord Viṣṇu
  2. gatyāwith the faculty of locomotion
  3. evaindeed
  4. caraṇauHis two feet
  5. nanot
  6. udatiṣṭhatdid arise
  7. tadāeven then
  8. virāṭthe virāṭ-puruṣa
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

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 does the Cosmic Being’s remaining still teach me about the limits of these bodily powers?

Practice

Read the verse slowly once, noticing that both movement and circulation were present, yet the Cosmic Being remained still.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayMovement and Circulation Alone Are Not EnoughThis 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 3.26.67? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories