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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 9: Brahmā’s Prayers for Creative Energy
3.9.413.9.43

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.9.42

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 3.9.29inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

अहमात्मात्मनां धात: प्रेष्ठ: सन् प्रेयसामपि ।

अतो मयि रतिं कुर्याद्देहादिर्यत्कृते प्रिय: ॥ ४२ ॥

aham ātmātmanāṁ dhātaḥ

preṣṭhaḥ san preyasām api

ato mayi ratiṁ kuryād

dehādir yat-kṛte priyaḥ

Translation

I am the Supersoul of every individual. I am the supreme director and the dearest. People are wrongly attached to the gross and subtle bodies, but they should be attached to Me only.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Develop Love for the Dearest Lord

  1. 1

    The Supreme Lord is the Supersoul, supreme director and dearest object of every living being. Knowing Him as the dearmost marks the liberated state.

  2. 2

    Living entities are eternally parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. The living being, rather than the body, is the basis of affection, and the Lord is affection’s ultimate basis.

  3. 3

    Theoretical knowledge without affection cannot free one from māyā. Through loving devotional service, one can see the Personality of Godhead within oneself.

Key points from the purport
  • The living entity is called the ātmā, and the Lord is called the Paramātmā.
  • Therefore the living spark, or eternal part of the Supreme, is the real basis of affection, and not the body.
  • Because the living entities are also parts of the whole living entity, that supreme living entity is the factual basis of affection for all.

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 3.9.42 quotesBG 15.7

The real reason is clearly stated in Bhagavad-gītā (15.7).

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
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ahamI am
  2. ātmāthe Supersoul
  3. ātmanāmof all other souls
  4. dhātaḥdirector
  5. preṣṭhaḥthe dearest
  6. sanbeing
  7. preyasāmof all dear things
  8. apicertainly
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Āśraya · The summum bonum

    Who is the shelter of everything? · Subject 10 of 10

  • Moha · Material attachment

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

    In this verse: “attached”, “māyā”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 3.9

    In this verse: “knowledge”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “devotional service”

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 I deepen affection for the Lord rather than resting in theoretical knowledge alone?

Practice

Spend one quiet minute addressing the Lord as your dearest and expressing your desire to develop love for Him.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDevelop Love for the Dearest LordThis 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 3.9.42? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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