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

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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.6.13

Who is speaking and story frame

निर्भिन्नं तालु वरुणो लोकपालोऽविशद्धरे: ।

जिह्वयांशेन च रसं ययासौ प्रतिपद्यते ॥ १३ ॥

nirbhinnaṁ tālu varuṇo

loka-pālo ’viśad dhareḥ

jihvayāṁśena ca rasaṁ

yayāsau pratipadyate

Translation

When the palate of the gigantic form was separately manifested, Varuṇa, the director of water in the planetary systems, entered therein, and thus the living entity has the facility to taste everything with his tongue.

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.

Taste Depends on the Lord's Arrangement

  1. 1

    The palate of the Lord's gigantic form was separately manifested.

  2. 2

    Varuṇa, the director of water in the planetary systems, entered that palate.

  3. 3

    Through this arrangement, the living entity has the facility to taste with the tongue.

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 6: Creation of the Universal Form

The Lord enters the material elements, manifesting the universal form with its senses, deities, and social orders.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.6
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nirbhinnamseparated
  2. tālupalate
  3. varuṇaḥthe deity controlling water
  4. loka-pālaḥdirector of the planets
  5. aviśatentered
  6. hareḥof the Lord
  7. jihvayā aṁśenawith the part of the tongue
  8. caalso
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

Do I take my ability to taste for granted?

Practice

When tasting food today, pause once to remember the Lord's arrangement described in this verse.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayTaste Depends on the Lord's ArrangementThis 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 3.6.13? Get an answer from the verses themselves.