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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 6: Creation of the Universal Form
3.6.133.6.15

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.6.14

Sarga· Creation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Maitreya Ṛṣisince 3.6.11inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

निर्भिन्ने अश्विनौ नासे विष्णोराविशतां पदम् ।

घ्राणेनांशेन गन्धस्य प्रतिपत्तिर्यतो भवेत् ॥ १४ ॥

nirbhinne aśvinau nāse

viṣṇor āviśatāṁ padam

ghrāṇenāṁśena gandhasya

pratipattir yato bhavet

Translation

When the Lord’s two nostrils separately manifested themselves, the dual Aśvinī-kumāras entered them in their proper positions, and because of this the living entities can smell the aromas of everything.

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.

Smell Depends on the Lord's Arrangement

  1. 1

    The Lord's two nostrils separately manifested themselves.

  2. 2

    The dual Aśvinī-kumāras entered the nostrils in their proper positions.

  3. 3

    Because of this arrangement, living entities can smell the aromas of everything.

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. nirbhinnethus being separated
  2. aśvinauthe dual Aśvinīs
  3. nāseof the two nostrils
  4. viṣṇoḥof the Lord
  5. āviśatāmentering
  6. padampost
  7. ghrāṇena aṁśenaby partially smelling
  8. gandhasyaaroma
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

How can an ordinary experience of smell help me remember the Lord?

Practice

Notice one aroma today and recall how this verse connects smelling with the Lord's universal form.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySmell 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 3.6.14? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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