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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 7: The Sacrifice Performed by Dakṣa
4.7.424.7.44

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.7.43

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Gandharvassince 4.7.43inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

गन्धर्वा ऊचु:

अंशांशास्ते देव मरीच्यादय एते

ब्रह्मेन्द्राद्या देवगणा रुद्रपुरोगा: ।

क्रीडाभाण्डं विश्वमिदं यस्य विभूमन्

तस्मै नित्यं नाथ नमस्ते करवाम ॥ ४३ ॥

gandharvā ūcuḥ

aṁśāṁśās te deva marīcy-ādaya ete

brahmendrādyā deva-gaṇā rudra-purogāḥ

krīḍā-bhāṇḍaṁ viśvam idaṁ yasya vibhūman

tasmai nityaṁ nātha namas te karavāma

Translation

The Gandharvas said: Dear Lord, all the demigods, including Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā and Indra, along with Marīci and the other great sages, are all only differentiated parts and parcels of Your body. You are the Supreme Almighty Great; the whole creation is just like a plaything for You. We always accept You as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we offer our respectful obeisances unto You.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Serving Kṛṣṇa Serves Everyone

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa alone is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the master of everyone. However exalted their positions, the demigods are not supreme.

  2. 2

    Viṣṇu manifestations are called svāṁśa, and living entities are called vibhinnāṁśa. Everyone is constitutionally meant to serve Kṛṣṇa; even His immediate expansion, Baladeva, serves Him.

  3. 3

    Worship of Kṛṣṇa includes worship of all His parts and parcels. It is like watering a tree’s root, which also nourishes its branches, twigs, leaves and flowers.

Key points from the purport
  • In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
  • Actually Viṣṇu is the Supreme Lord, but there is even one above Viṣṇu, for Viṣṇu is also the plenary portion of a part of Kṛṣṇa.
  • The demigods like Brahmā and Indra have been promoted to such exalted positions by pious activities and austerities, but actually Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa, is the master of everyone.

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

Humiliation and anger → Reconciliation. Relational offense leads to grief and destruction before restoration.

Chapters 1–7 of Canto 4: Dakṣa, Satī and Śiva. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 7: The Sacrifice Performed by Dakṣa

Lord Śiva is pacified, Dakṣa acknowledges his offense, and Lord Viṣṇu accepts the sacrifice.

Back to this verse in chapter 4.7
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. gandharvāḥthe Gandharvas
  2. ūcuḥsaid
  3. aṁśa-aṁśāḥparts and parcels of Your body
  4. teYour
  5. devadear Lord
  6. marīci-ādayaḥMarīci and the other great sages
  7. etethese
  8. brahma-indra-ādyāḥheaded by Brahmā and Indra
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 4.7

    In this verse: “worship”

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 the image of watering a tree’s root help me understand worship of Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Offer respectful obeisances to Kṛṣṇa, acknowledging Him as the Supreme Lord and yourself as His servant.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayServing Kṛṣṇa Serves EveryoneThis 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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