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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
  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 5 · Chapter 18: The Prayers Offered to the Lord by the Residents of Jambūdvīpa
5.18.345.18.36

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.18.35

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 5.18.34inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

ॐ नमो भगवते मन्त्रतत्त्वलिङ्गाय यज्ञक्रतवे महाध्वरावयवाय महापुरुषाय नम: कर्मशुक्लाय त्रियुगाय नमस्ते ॥ ३५ ॥ ।

oṁ namo bhagavate mantra-tattva-liṅgāya yajña-kratave mahā-dhvarāvayavāya mahā-puruṣāya namaḥ karma-śuklāya tri-yugāya namas te.

Translation

O Lord, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You as the gigantic person. Simply by chanting mantras, we shall be able to understand You fully. You are yajña [sacrifice], and You are the kratu [ritual]. Therefore all the ritualistic ceremonies of sacrifice are part of Your transcendental body, and You are the only enjoyer of all sacrifices. Your form is composed of transcendental goodness. You are known as tri-yuga because in Kali-yuga You appeared as a concealed incarnation and because You always fully possess the three pairs of opulences.

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

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord Appears as a Devotee

  1. 1

    The Lord can be understood by chanting mantras. Sacrificial ceremonies are parts of His transcendental body, and He alone enjoys all sacrifices.

  2. 2

    His form consists of transcendental goodness, and He fully possesses the three pairs of opulences. He is known as tri-yuga.

  3. 3

    In Kali-yuga, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appears as a devotee of the Lord rather than as an incarnation displaying pastimes. He is therefore called a concealed incarnation.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the incarnation for this Age of Kali, as confirmed in many places throughout the Purāṇas, the Mahābhārata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Upaniṣads.
  • Unlike other incarnations, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appears in this Age of Kali as a devotee of the Lord.
  • Therefore He is called a concealed incarnation (channāvatāra).

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· 1

The purport of SB 5.18.35 quotesCC Madhya 6.99

The summary of His appearance is given in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 6.99) as follows: In this Age of Kali, the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Bhagavān) does not appear as a līlāvatāra, an incarnation to display pastimes.

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

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

Further reading

Chapter 18: The Prayers Offered to the Lord by the Residents of Jambūdvīpa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

He has simply wasted his time. Lacking attachment for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he remains attached to family life in this material world.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 5.18
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. omO Lord
  2. namaḥrespectful obeisances
  3. bhagavateunto the Supreme Personality of Godhead
  4. mantra-tattva-liṅgāyawho is understood in truth by different mantras
  5. yajñain the form of animal sacrifices
  6. krataveand animal sacrifice
  7. mahā-dhvaragreat sacrifices
  8. avayavāyawhose limbs and bodily parts
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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

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 5.18

    In this verse: “understand”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 5.18

    In this verse: “chanting”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 5.18

    In this verse: “devotee”

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

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does the Lord’s appearance as a devotee deepen my appreciation of devotion?

Practice

Offer respectful obeisances to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, remembering His appearance as a devotee.

Live this todayThe Lord Appears as a DevoteeThis 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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