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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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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 24: Chanting the Song Sung by Lord Śiva
4.24.624.24.64

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.24.63

Sarga· Creation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Maitreya Ṛṣisince 4.24.32inside 4 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → ViduraLord Śiva → the Pracetās

त्वमेक आद्य: पुरुष: सुप्तशक्ति-

स्तया रज:सत्त्वतमो विभिद्यते ।

महानहं खं मरुदग्निवार्धरा:

सुरर्षयो भूतगणा इदं यत: ॥ ६३ ॥

tvam eka ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ supta-śaktis

tayā rajaḥ-sattva-tamo vibhidyate

mahān ahaṁ khaṁ marud agni-vār-dharāḥ

surarṣayo bhūta-gaṇā idaṁ yataḥ

Translation

My dear Lord, You are the only Supreme Person, the cause of all causes. Before the creation of this material world, Your material energy remains in a dormant condition. When Your material energy is agitated, the three qualities — namely goodness, passion and ignorance — act, and as a result the total material energy — egotism, ether, air, fire, water, earth and all the various demigods and saintly persons — becomes manifest. Thus the material world is created.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa Is the Cause of All Causes

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the source of all spiritual and material worlds. The spiritual world exists eternally; creation refers to the material world.

  2. 2

    The Lord’s glance activates His dormant material energy and sets the three material qualities into motion. The material creation gives living entities who want to imitate the Lord an opportunity to pursue enjoyment.

  3. 3

    Material existence means forgetfulness of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Those who understand that everything comes from Kṛṣṇa engage in His devotional service and worship Him with all their hearts.

Key points from the purport
  • Spiritual and material categories are made possible by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but actually there are no such distinctions for the living entities who are eternally engaged in the service of the Lord.
  • It is only for them that this material world is created by the dormant energy of the Lord.
  • The material creation is therefore caused by the Lord through His material energy.

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· 2

The purport of SB 4.24.63 quotesBG 10.8

Kṛṣṇa also confirms this in Bhagavad-gītā (10.8): “I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds.

The purport of SB 4.24.63 quotesSB 2.9.33

In the catuḥ-ślokī of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the Lord says, aham evāsam evāgre: “I was existing in the beginning before the creation.”

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

Worldly absorption → Sobering awareness. The mind's identification with material life becomes visible.

Chapters 24–29 of Canto 4: Śiva's song and the allegory of Purañjana. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 24: Chanting the Song Sung by Lord Śiva

Lord Śiva mercifully teaches the Pracetās prayers glorifying the Supreme Lord.

Back to this verse in chapter 4.24
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tvamYour Lordship
  2. ekaḥone
  3. ādyaḥthe original
  4. puruṣaḥperson
  5. suptadormant
  6. śaktiḥenergy
  7. tayāby which
  8. rajaḥthe passion energy
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 4.24

    In this verse: “material”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 4.24

    In this verse: “devotional service”, “worship”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 4.24

    In this verse: “understand”

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 might remembering Kṛṣṇa as the source of everything change my desire to enjoy independently?

Practice

Pause before one activity today, remember that everything comes from Kṛṣṇa, and offer that activity as service to Him.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Is the Cause of All CausesThis 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.

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