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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
5.18.55.18.7

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.18.6

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 5.18.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

वेदान् युगान्ते तमसा तिरस्कृतान्रसातलाद्यो नृतुरङ्गविग्रह: । प्रत्याददे वै कवयेऽभियाचतेतस्मै नमस्तेऽवितथेहिताय इति ॥ ६ ॥

vedān yugānte tamasā tiraskṛtān

rasātalād yo nṛ-turaṅga-vigrahaḥ

pratyādade vai kavaye ’bhiyācate

tasmai namas te ’vitathehitāya iti

Translation

At the end of the millennium, ignorance personified assumed the form of a demon, stole all the Vedas and took them down to the planet of Rasātala. The Supreme Lord, however, in His form of Hayagrīva retrieved the Vedas and returned them to Lord Brahmā when he begged for them. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, whose determination never fails.

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 Protects Vedic Knowledge

  1. 1

    Vedic knowledge is imperishable, but in the material world it is sometimes manifest and sometimes not. It disappears when people become too absorbed in ignorance.

  2. 2

    Lord Hayagrīva retrieved the stolen Vedas from Rasātala and returned them to Lord Brahmā when he asked. The Supreme Lord’s determination never fails.

  3. 3

    The Lord always protects Vedic knowledge, which is distributed again through Lord Brahmā in due course. Brahmā is His trustworthy representative.

Key points from the purport
  • Although Vedic knowledge is imperishable, within this material world it is sometimes manifest and sometimes not.
  • Lord Hayagrīva or Lord Matsya, however, always protects the Vedic knowledge, and in due course of time it is again distributed through the medium of Lord Brahmā.
  • Therefore when he again asked for the treasure of Vedic knowledge, the Lord fulfilled his desire.

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

Further reading

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

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

At the end of each kalpa, when the demon Ajñāna steals the Vedic knowledge, Lord Hayagrīva appears and preserves it. Then He delivers it to Lord Brahmā.
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. vedānthe four Vedas
  2. yuga-anteat the end of the millennium
  3. tamasāby the demon of ignorance personified
  4. tiraskṛtānstolen away
  5. rasātalātfrom the lowest planetary system (Rasātala)
  6. yaḥwho (the Supreme Personality of Godhead)
  7. nṛ-turaṅga-vigrahaḥassuming the form of half-horse, half-man
  8. pratyādadereturned
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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: “knowledge”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 5.18

    In this verse: “material”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 5.18

    In this verse: “protects”

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

Do I value Vedic knowledge as a treasure protected by the Lord?

Practice

Spend a few attentive minutes studying this verse and its purport, then offer respectful obeisances to the Supreme Lord.

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Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 5.18's connections

Live this todayThe Lord Protects Vedic KnowledgeThis 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.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 5.18.6? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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