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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 7: Further Inquires by Vidura
3.7.273.7.29

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.7.28

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Vidurasince 3.7.15inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

गुणावतारैर्विश्वस्य सर्गस्थित्यप्ययाश्रयम् ।

सृजत: श्रीनिवासस्य व्याचक्ष्वोदारविक्रमम् ॥ २८ ॥

guṇāvatārair viśvasya

sarga-sthity-apyayāśrayam

sṛjataḥ śrīnivāsasya

vyācakṣvodāra-vikramam

Translation

Please also describe the incarnations of the material modes of nature — Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara — and please describe the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His magnanimous activities.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa Is the Ultimate Goal

  1. 1

    Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara are the incarnations of the material modes of nature. They are the principal deities for cosmic creation, maintenance and destruction.

  2. 2

    These three are not the final authority. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, is the ultimate goal and the cause of all causes.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa is the āśraya, the final rest of everything. The inquiry also seeks to hear about the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s incarnation and magnanimous activities.

Key points from the purport
  • Although Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara, the three incarnations of the material modes of nature, are the principal deities for the creation, maintenance and destruction of the cosmic manifestation, they are not the final authority.
  • The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, is the ultimate goal, the cause of all causes.
  • He is the āśraya, or the final rest of everything.

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 7: Further Inquires by Vidura

Vidura asks about illusion, the soul, creation, religious duties, and the relationship between teacher and disciple.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.7
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. guṇamodes of material nature
  2. avatāraiḥof the incarnations
  3. viśvasyaof the universe
  4. sargacreation
  5. sthitimaintenance
  6. apyayadestruction
  7. āśrayamand ultimate rest
  8. sṛjataḥof the one who creates
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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 3.7

    In this verse: “material”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 3.7

    In this verse: “inquiry”

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 recognizing Kṛṣṇa as the ultimate goal shape what I seek to understand?

Practice

Spend a quiet minute reflecting on Kṛṣṇa as the cause of all causes and the final rest of everything.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Is the Ultimate GoalThis 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 3.7.28? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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