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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 8: Dhruva Mahārāja Leaves Home for the Forest
4.8.504.8.52

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 4.8.51

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Nārada Munisince 4.8.46inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

स्मयमानमभिध्यायेत्सानुरागावलोकनम् ।

नियतेनैकभूतेन मनसा वरदर्षभम् ॥ ५१ ॥

smayamānam abhidhyāyet

sānurāgāvalokanam

niyatenaika-bhūtena

manasā varadarṣabham

Translation

The Lord is always smiling, and the devotee should constantly see the Lord in this form, as He looks very mercifully toward the devotee. In this way the meditator should look toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the bestower of all benedictions.

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

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Meditate Attentively on the Lord’s Merciful Form

  1. 1

    The Lord is always smiling and looks toward His devotee with great affection. One should meditate on this merciful form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  2. 2

    One should not manufacture a method of meditation, but follow authorized śāstras and personalities. Regular practice should follow their instructions.

  3. 3

    Meditation requires great attention and concentration. By concentrating on the descriptions of the Lord’s bodily features, one becomes fixed in remembering Him and does not fall down.

Key points from the purport
  • The word niyatena is very significant in this connection, for it indicates that one should execute the meditation practice as stated above.
  • One should not manufacture a way of meditation on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but should follow the authorized śāstras and personalities.
  • By this prescribed method one can practice concentration upon the Lord until one is so fixed that he remains in trance, thinking always of the form of 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.

How it feels

Rejection → Transformed aspiration. A child's wounded pride is purified by divine encounter.

Chapters 8–12 of Canto 4: Dhruva seeks and encounters the Lord. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 8: Dhruva Mahārāja Leaves Home for the Forest

Dhruva leaves home, receives Nārada’s instructions, and worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead with austerity.

Back to this verse in chapter 4.8
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. smayamānamthe Lord’s smiling
  2. abhidhyāyetone should meditate upon Him
  3. sa-anurāga-avalokanamone who is looking toward the devotees with great affection
  4. niyatenain this way, regularly
  5. eka-bhūtenawith great attention
  6. manasāwith the mind
  7. vara-da-ṛṣabhamone should meditate upon the greatest bestower of benedictions
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Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 4.8

    In this verse: “mercifully”, “merciful”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 4.8

    In this verse: “devotee”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can I give more attentive, regular thought to the Lord’s merciful form?

Practice

Spend one quiet minute recalling the smiling Lord looking mercifully toward His devotee, as described in this translation.

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The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayMeditate Attentively on the Lord’s Merciful FormThis 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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