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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.
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Canto 5 · Chapter 20: Studying the Structure of the Universe
5.20.115.20.13

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.20.12

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 5.20.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

स्वगोभि: पितृदेवेभ्यो विभजन् कृष्णशुक्लयो: ।

प्रजानां सर्वासां राजान्ध: सोमो न आस्त्विति ॥ १२ ॥

sva-gobhiḥ pitṛ-devebhyo

vibhajan kṛṣṇa-śuklayoḥ

prajānāṁ sarvāsāṁ rājā-

ndhaḥ somo na āstv iti

Translation

[The inhabitants of Śālmalīdvīpa worship the demigod of the moon in the following words.] By his own rays, the moon-god has divided the month into two fortnights, known as śukla and kṛṣṇa, for the distribution of food grains to the pitās and the demigods. The demigod of the moon is he who divides time, and he is the king of all the residents of the universe. We therefore pray that he may remain our king and guide, and we offer him our respectful obeisances.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Moon Divides Time and Distributes Food

  1. 1

    The inhabitants of Śālmalīdvīpa worship the moon-god with respectful prayers.

  2. 2

    By his rays, the moon-god divides the month into two fortnights, śukla and kṛṣṇa, for distributing food grains to the pitās and the demigods.

  3. 3

    The inhabitants honor him as the divider of time and king of the universe’s residents. They pray that he may remain their king and guide.

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 20: Studying the Structure of the Universe

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The width of this island is 6,400,000 miles, or, in other words, twice the width of Sālmalīdvīpa. The fourth island, Krauñcadvīpa, which is surrounded by an ocean of milk, is 12,800,000 miles wide and is also divided, like the others, into seven regions, each with a large mountain and a large river.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 5.20
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. sva-gobhiḥby expansion of his own illuminating rays
  2. pitṛ-devebhyaḥunto the pitās and the demigods
  3. vibhajandividing
  4. kṛṣṇa-śuklayoḥinto the two fortnights, dark and light
  5. prajānāmof the citizens
  6. sarvāsāmof all
  7. rājāthe king
  8. andhaḥfood grains
3

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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 5.20

    In this verse: “worship”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 5.20

    In this verse: “king”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does this prayer help you notice about the moon’s role in the inhabitants’ lives?

Practice

Write down the two fortnights named in the verse and the purpose given for their division.

Live this todayThe Moon Divides Time and Distributes FoodThis 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 5.20.12? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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