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

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Canto 5 · The Creative Impetus · 26 chapters

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How to study this verse, in six steps

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.

Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›

Canto 5 · Chapter 17: The Descent of the River Ganges

5.17.11 5.17.13

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.17.12

Sthāna· The universe in order

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 5.17.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

एषु पुरुषाणामयुतपुरुषायुर्वर्षाणां देवकल्पानां नागायुतप्राणानां वज्रसंहननबलवयोमोदप्रमुदितमहासौरतमिथुनव्यवायापवर्गवर्षधृतैकगर्भ कलत्राणां तत्र तु त्रेतायुगसम: कालो वर्तते ॥ १२ ॥

eṣu puruṣāṇām ayuta-puruṣāyur-varṣāṇāṁ deva-kalpānāṁ nāgāyuta-prāṇānāṁ vajra-saṁhanana-bala-vayo-moda-pramudita-mahā-saurata-mithuna-vyavāyāpavarga-varṣa-dhṛtaika-garbha-kalatrāṇāṁ tatra tu tretā-yuga-samaḥ kālo vartate.

Translation

In these eight varṣas, or tracts of land, human beings live ten thousand years according to earthly calculations. All the inhabitants are almost like demigods. They have the bodily strength of ten thousand elephants. Indeed, their bodies are as sturdy as thunderbolts. The youthful duration of their lives is very pleasing, and both men and women enjoy sexual union with great pleasure for a long time. After years of sensual pleasure — when a balance of one year of life remains — the wife conceives a child. Thus the standard of pleasure for the residents of these heavenly regions is exactly like that of the human beings who lived during Tretā-yuga.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Devotional Absorption Surpasses Sensual Pleasure

1
The inhabitants of these eight varṣas live ten thousand earthly years and have extraordinary strength. Their enjoyment resembles that of people in Tretā-yuga.
2
In Satya-yuga, people were absorbed in samādhi for spiritual understanding and realization of God, without interest in material sense enjoyment. Material miseries began in Dvāpara-yuga and became severe in Kali-yuga.
3
In these heavenly varṣas, pregnancy occurs only once in a lifetime, near life's end. In the spiritual world, the exalted devotional attitude leaves people with very little attraction to sex life.

Key points from the purport

Another point in this verse is that in all eight of these heavenly varṣas, although men and women enjoy sex pleasure, there is no pregnancy.
People still have sex life, but there is no pregnancy.
In the spiritual world, people are not very attracted to sex life, due to their exalted devotional attitude.

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

Smallness → Awe and reverence. A vast cosmos changes the reader's perspective.

Chapters 15–25 of Canto 5: The cosmic regions and divine worship. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Chapter 17: The Descent of the River Ganges

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The tract of land known as Bhārata-varṣa is the field of activities, and the other eight varṣas are for persons who are meant to enjoy heavenly comfort. In each of these eight beautiful provinces, the celestial denizens enjoy various standards of material comfort and pleasure.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 5.17

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

eṣuin these (eight) varṣas, or tracts of land
puruṣāṇāmof all the men
ayutaten thousand
puruṣaby the measure of men
āyuḥ-varṣāṇāmof those whose years of life
deva-kalpānāmwho are like the demigods
nāga-ayuta-prāṇānāmhaving the strength of ten thousand elephants
vajra-saṁhananaby bodies as solid as thunderbolts

Key ideas in this verse

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

Sthāna · Planetary systems
How is the universe arranged, and what is our right place in it? · Subject 3 of 10
Vātsalya · Parental affection
Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 5.17
In this verse: “child”
Bhakti · Devotion and loving service
How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 5.17
In this verse: “devotional”
Jñāna · Spiritual insight
Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 5.17
In this verse: “understanding”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How might deeper devotional absorption change what I seek pleasure in?

Practice

Set aside five minutes usually spent seeking sensory pleasure and use them for quiet attention to spiritual understanding.

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDevotional Absorption Surpasses Sensual PleasureThis 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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