1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 5 · The Creative Impetus · 26 chapters

1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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 23: The Śiśumāra Planetary Systems
5.23.75.23.9

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.23.8

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 5.23.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

एतदु हैव भगवतो विष्णो: सर्वदेवतामयं रूपमहरह: सन्ध्यायां प्रयतो वाग्यतो निरीक्षमाण उपतिष्ठेत नमो ज्योतिर्लोकाय कालायनायानिमिषां पतये महापुरुषायाभिधीमहीति ॥ ८ ॥

etad u haiva bhagavato viṣṇoḥ sarva-devatāmayaṁ rūpam aharahaḥ sandhyāyāṁ prayato vāgyato nirīkṣamāṇa upatiṣṭheta namo jyotir-lokāya kālāyanāyānimiṣāṁ pataye mahā-puruṣāyābhidhīmahīti.

Translation

My dear King, the body of the śiśumāra, as thus described, should be considered the external form of Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Morning, noon and evening, one should silently observe the form of the Lord as the Śiśumāra-cakra and worship Him with this mantra: “O Lord who have assumed the form of time! O resting place of all the planets moving in different orbits! O master of all demigods, O Supreme Person, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You and meditate upon You.”

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.

Worship the Supreme Person Three Times Daily

  1. 1

    The śiśumāra should be considered the external form of Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  2. 2

    Morning, noon and evening, one should silently observe the Lord’s form as the Śiśumāra-cakra. This contemplation is joined with worship through the given mantra.

  3. 3

    The prayer addresses the Lord as the form of time, the resting place of the planets and the master of all demigods. It offers respectful obeisances and meditation to the Supreme Person.

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 23: The Śiśumāra Planetary Systems

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

It also describes the totality of these planetary systems to be Śiśumāra, another expansion of the external body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Dhruvaloka, the abode of Lord Viṣṇu within this universe, is situated 1,300,000 yojanas from the seven stars.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 5.23
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. etatthis
  2. u haindeed
  3. evacertainly
  4. bhagavataḥof the Supreme Personality of Godhead
  5. viṣṇoḥof Lord Viṣṇu
  6. sarva-devatā-mayamconsisting of all the demigods
  7. rūpamform
  8. ahaḥ-ahaḥalways
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 5.23

    In this verse: “worship”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 5.23

    In this verse: “king”

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

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can I make a quiet place in my day for respectful meditation upon the Supreme Person?

Practice

At the next morning, noon or evening opportunity, pause silently and offer the prayer given in the translation.

Live this todayWorship the Supreme Person Three Times DailyThis 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 5.23.8? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories