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 6: Creation of the Universal Form
3.6.33.6.5

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.6.4

Sarga· Creation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Maitreya Ṛṣisince 3.6.1inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

प्रबुद्धकर्मा दैवेन त्रयोविंशतिको गण: ।

प्रेरितोऽजनयत्स्वाभिर्मात्राभिरधिपूरुषम् ॥ ४ ॥

prabuddha-karmā daivena

trayoviṁśatiko gaṇaḥ

prerito ’janayat svābhir

mātrābhir adhipūruṣam

Translation

When the twenty-three principal elements were set in action by the will of the Supreme, the gigantic universal form, or the viśvarūpa body of the Lord, came into existence.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa Is the Source of the Universal Form

  1. 1

    The universal form appeared when the Lord set the twenty-three elements into action. It is a material manifestation, not an eternal form in the spiritual sky.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇa exhibited the universal form to Arjuna to establish that He is the original Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa is its source, not its product.

  3. 3

    The worshipable Deity, or arcā-vigraha, is also a manifestation of the Lord for beginners. Despite their material touch, the universal form and the Deity are nondifferent from His eternal form as Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Key points from the purport
  • The virāṭ-rūpa or viśva-rūpa, the gigantic universal form of the Lord, which is very much appreciated by the impersonalist, is not an eternal form of the Lord.
  • The virāṭ-rūpa is not, therefore, an eternal form of the Lord exhibited in the spiritual sky; it is a material manifestation of the Lord.
  • But in spite of their material touch, such forms of the Lord as the virāṭ and arcā are all nondifferent from His eternal form as Lord Kṛṣṇa.

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

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. prabuddhaawakened
  2. karmāactivities
  3. daivenaby the will of the Supreme
  4. trayaḥ-viṁśatikaḥby the twenty-three principal ingredients
  5. gaṇaḥthe combination
  6. preritaḥinduced by
  7. ajanayatmanifested
  8. svābhiḥby His personal
  9. mātrābhiḥplenary expansion
  10. adhipūruṣamthe gigantic universal form ( viśva-rūpa)
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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 3.6

    In this verse: “material”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 3.6

    In this verse: “worshipable”

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 does knowing that Kṛṣṇa reveals the universal form deepen my understanding of Him?

Practice

Repeat this teaching thoughtfully today: “Kṛṣṇa exhibited the universal form; the universal form did not produce Kṛṣṇa.”

5

The story around it

The story 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 3.6's connections

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Is the Source of the Universal FormThis 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 3.6.4? 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