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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.19.26

Who is speaking and story frame

यै: श्रद्धया बर्हिषि भागशो हवि-

र्निरुप्तमिष्टं विधिमन्त्रवस्तुत: ।

एक: पृथङ्‌नामभिराहुतो मुदा

गृह्णाति पूर्ण: स्वयमाशिषां प्रभु: ॥ २६ ॥

yaiḥ śraddhayā barhiṣi bhāgaśo havir

niruptam iṣṭaṁ vidhi-mantra-vastutaḥ

ekaḥ pṛthaṅ-nāmabhir āhuto mudā

gṛhṇāti pūrṇaḥ svayam āśiṣāṁ prabhuḥ

Translation

In India [Bhārata-varṣa], there are many worshipers of the demigods, the various officials appointed by the Supreme Lord, such as Indra, Candra and Sūrya, all of whom are worshiped differently. The worshipers offer the demigods their oblations, considering the demigods part and parcel of the whole, the Supreme Lord. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead accepts these offerings and gradually raises the worshipers to the real standard of devotional service by fulfilling their desires and aspirations. Because the Lord is complete, He offers the worshipers the benedictions they desire even if they worship only part of His transcendental body.

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

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Worship Kṛṣṇa Directly

  1. 1

    The demigods are officials appointed by the Supreme Lord and are parts of His whole. Kṛṣṇa is the original master of all benedictions, including those received through demigod worship.

  2. 2

    Advanced devotees worship only Kṛṣṇa because they know Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa wants direct devotional worship, not indirect worship through the different parts of His body. Staunch devotional service to Him very quickly elevates a devotee to the transcendental position.

Key points from the purport
  • In other words, they accept the demigods as different parts of Kṛṣṇa and worship them for various benedictions.
  • Kṛṣṇa does not desire to be worshiped indirectly through the different parts of His body; Kṛṣṇa wants direct devotional worship.
  • Nevertheless, devotees who worship the demigods, the different parts of the Lord, receive the benedictions they desire because the Lord is the original master of all benedictions.

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 5.19.26 quotesBG 9.13

In Bhagavad-gītā (9.13) Lord Kṛṣṇa says: “O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature.

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 19: A Description of the Island of Jambūdvīpa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

In the land known as Bhāratavarṣa, even if one is a sarva-kāma-bhakta, a devotee seeking the fulfillment of some material desire, he is freed from all material desires by his association with devotees, and ultimately he becomes a pure devotee and returns home, back to Godhead, without difficulty. At the end of this chapter, Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes to Mahārāja Parīkṣit the eight sub-islands within the island of Jambūdvīpa.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 5.19
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. yaiḥby whom (the inhabitants of Bhārata-varṣa)
  2. śraddhayāfaith and confidence
  3. barhiṣiin the performance of Vedic ritualistic sacrifices
  4. bhāgaśaḥby division
  5. haviḥoblations
  6. niruptamoffered
  7. iṣṭamto the desired deity
  8. vidhiby the proper method
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Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 5.19

    In this verse: “devotional service”, “worshipers”, “devotees”

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

Am I approaching Kṛṣṇa mainly for benefits, or seeking to serve Him directly?

Practice

Offer a brief prayer directly to Kṛṣṇa today, asking for the opportunity to serve Him.

Live this todayWorship Kṛṣṇa DirectlyThis 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 5.19.26? Get an answer from the verses themselves.