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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 20: Studying the Structure of the Universe
5.20.265.20.28

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.20.27

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 5.20.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तद्वर्षपुरुषा ऋतव्रतसत्यव्रतदानव्रतानुव्रतनामानो भगवन्तं वाय्वात्मकं प्राणायामविधूतरजस्तमस: परमसमाधिना यजन्ते ॥ २७ ॥

tad-varṣa-puruṣā ṛtavrata-satyavrata-dānavratānuvrata-nāmāno bhagavantaṁ vāyv-ātmakaṁ prāṇāyāma-vidhūta-rajas-tamasaḥ parama-samādhinā yajante.

Translation

The inhabitants of those islands are also divided into four castes — Ṛtavrata, Satyavrata, Dānavrata and Anuvrata — which exactly resemble brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra. They practice prāṇāyāma and mystic yoga, and in trance they worship the Supreme Lord in the form of Vāyu.

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.

Yoga Directed Toward Worship

  1. 1

    The inhabitants are divided into four castes: Ṛtavrata, Satyavrata, Dānavrata and Anuvrata.

  2. 2

    These four castes exactly resemble brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra.

  3. 3

    The inhabitants practice prāṇāyāma and mystic yoga. In trance, they worship the Supreme Lord in the form of Vāyu.

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:

Its inhabitants worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the form of Vāyu, air. The sixth island, Puṣkaradvīpa, which is twice as wide as the previous island, is surrounded by an ocean of clear water.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 5.20
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tat-varṣa-puruṣāḥthe inhabitants of those tracts of land
  2. ṛta-vrataṚtavrata
  3. satya-vrataSatyavrata
  4. dāna-vrataDānavrata
  5. anuvrataAnuvrata
  6. nāmānaḥhaving the four names
  7. bhagavantamthe Supreme Personality of Godhead
  8. vāyu-ātmakamrepresented by the demigod Vāyu
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “worship”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does this verse show about the purpose of their yoga practice?

Practice

Spend one quiet minute directing your attention toward worship of the Supreme Lord.

5

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 5.20's connections

Live this todayYoga Directed Toward WorshipThis 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 5.20.27? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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