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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 4 · The Creation of the Fourth Order · 31 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 4 · Chapter 16: Praise of King Pṛthu by the Professional Reciters
4.16.14.16.3

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.16.2

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The reciterssince 4.16.2inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

नालं वयं ते महिमानुवर्णने

यो देववर्योऽवततार मायया ।

वेनाङ्गजातस्य च पौरुषाणि ते

वाचस्पतीनामपि बभ्रमुर्धिय: ॥ २ ॥

nālaṁ vayaṁ te mahimānuvarṇane

yo deva-varyo ’vatatāra māyayā

venāṅga-jātasya ca pauruṣāṇi te

vācas-patīnām api babhramur dhiyaḥ

Translation

The reciters continued: Dear King, you are a direct incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, and by His causeless mercy you have descended to this earth. Therefore it is not possible for us to actually glorify your exalted activities. Although you have appeared through the body of King Vena, even great orators and speakers like Lord Brahmā and other demigods cannot exactly describe the glorious activities of Your Lordship.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Glorify the Lord According to Your Ability

  1. 1

    Here māyayā means causeless mercy. The Lord appears through His internal potency, not in a body imposed by material energy.

  2. 2

    The Lord is fully independent and can appear anywhere. Even great demigods cannot adequately describe His unlimited glories.

  3. 3

    Glorifying the Lord purifies us, so we should make the attempt according to our ability. The Lord gives sincere devotees intelligence to offer prayers properly.

Key points from the purport
  • The Lord and His incarnation are fully independent and can appear anywhere and everywhere by virtue of the internal potency.
  • Although born out of the so-called dead body of King Vena, King Pṛthu was still an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the Lord’s internal potency.
  • So what to speak of demigods like Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and others?

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

Anger and disorder → Duty and devotion. Kingship shifts from domination to stewardship and renunciation.

Chapters 13–23 of Canto 4: Vena and Pṛthu: power, the Earth and stewardship. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 16: Praise of King Pṛthu by the Professional Reciters

Reciters describe Pṛthu’s future protection of citizens, service to devotees, and meeting with Sanat-kumāra.

Back to this verse in chapter 4.16
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. na alamnot able
  2. vayamwe
  3. teyour
  4. mahimaglories
  5. anuvarṇanein describing
  6. yaḥyou who
  7. devathe Personality of Godhead
  8. varyaḥforemost
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

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 4.16

    In this verse: “glorify”, “reciters”, “glorifying”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 4.16

    In this verse: “mercy”, “causeless”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 4.16

    In this verse: “king”

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

Does feeling inadequate ever keep me from offering sincere prayers?

Practice

Offer a short prayer glorifying one quality of the Lord described in this passage.

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 4.16's connections

Live this todayGlorify the Lord According to Your AbilityThis 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 4.16.2? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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