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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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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 9: Brahmā’s Prayers for Creative Energy
3.9.113.9.13

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.9.12

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Brahmāsince 3.9.1inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

नातिप्रसीदति तथोपचितोपचारै-

राराधित: सुरगणैर्हृदिबद्धकामै: ।

यत्सर्वभूतदययासदलभ्ययैको

नानाजनेष्ववहित: सुहृदन्तरात्मा ॥ १२ ॥

nātiprasīdati tathopacitopacārair

ārādhitaḥ sura-gaṇair hṛdi baddha-kāmaiḥ

yat sarva-bhūta-dayayāsad-alabhyayaiko

nānā-janeṣv avahitaḥ suhṛd antar-ātmā

Translation

My Lord, You are not very much satisfied by the worship of the demigods, who arrange for Your worship very pompously, with various paraphernalia, but who are full of material hankerings. You are situated in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul just to show Your causeless mercy, and You are the eternal well-wisher, but You are unavailable for the nondevotee.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Pure Service Pleases the Lord Most

  1. 1

    Pompous worship does not fully satisfy the Lord when the worshiper’s heart is filled with material desires. He does not want living entities to remain subject to birth, death, old age and disease.

  2. 2

    Pure devotees align their desires with the Lord’s desires and do not act for personal sense gratification. As Paramātmā, the Lord sits in everyone’s heart as a well-wisher, offering the opportunity for good counsel.

  3. 3

    Pure devotees also help others become devotees, and this especially pleases the Lord. Through their work, He offers His mercy even to those who are averse to serving Him.

Key points from the purport
  • The Lord is so kind that He awards them all sorts of material happiness, more than they can desire, but He is not satisfied with them because they are not pure devotees.
  • Therefore, the Lord is very much satisfied with pure devotees because they do not act for sense gratification but only in terms of the Lord’s desire.
  • The nondevotees, however, are neither like the demigods nor like the pure devotees, but are averse to the transcendental relationship with the Lord.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 1

The purport of SB 3.9.12 quotesBG 4.11

Bhagavad-gītā (4.11) states: ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham. “Although the Lord is equally kind to every living being, the living beings, for their own part, are able to please the Lord to either a greater or lesser extent.”

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

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 9: Brahmā’s Prayers for Creative Energy

Brahmā prays for mercy and creative power, and the Lord instructs and blesses him.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.9
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nanever
  2. ativery much
  3. prasīdatibecome satisfied
  4. tathāas much as
  5. upacitaby pompous arrangement
  6. upacāraiḥwith much worshipable paraphernalia
  7. ārādhitaḥbeing worshiped
  8. sura-gaṇaiḥby the celestial demigods
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Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 3.9

    In this verse: “mercy”, “causeless”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 3.9

    In this verse: “material”, “sense gratification”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 3.9

    In this verse: “worship”, “devotees”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How could my service become less concerned with personal gain and more concerned with pleasing the Lord?

Practice

Offer one brief prayer today asking to serve the Lord’s desires rather than seeking a material reward.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayPure Service Pleases the Lord MostThis 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 3.9.12? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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