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

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Canto 7 · The Science of God · 15 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 7 · Chapter 14: Ideal Family Life
7.14.367.14.38

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 7.14.37

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Nārada Munisince 7.14.27-28inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira

पुराण्यनेन सृष्टानि नृतिर्यगृषिदेवता: ।

शेते जीवेन रूपेण पुरेषु पुरुषो ह्यसौ ॥ ३७ ॥

purāṇy anena sṛṣṭāni

nṛ-tiryag-ṛṣi-devatāḥ

śete jīvena rūpeṇa

pureṣu puruṣo hy asau

Translation

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has created many residential places like the bodies of human beings, animals, birds, saints and demigods. In all of these innumerable bodily forms, the Lord resides with the living being as Paramātmā. Thus He is known as the puruṣāvatāra.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Lord Remains With Every Living Being

  1. 1

    The Lord has created many bodily forms and resides with the living being in each as Paramātmā. The body is like a machine made of material energy.

  2. 2

    The living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and exists by His mercy. According to the living entity’s desire for material enjoyment, the Lord supplies a suitable body.

  3. 3

    The Lord remains with the living being to sustain life in that body. The purport offers worship to Govinda, who enters every universe and every atom through His plenary portion.

Key points from the purport
  • The living entity, who is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, exists on the mercy of the Lord, who is always with him in any form of body.
  • The living entity desires a particular type of material enjoyment, and thus the Lord supplies him with a body, which is like a machine.
  • The Supreme Lord puruṣa remains with the jīva to enable him to enjoy material facilities.

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 7.14.37 quotesBG 18.61

In Bhagavad-gītā (18.61) it is said: “The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.”

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

Seriousness → Principled living. The example of bhakti becomes a guide to daily life.

Chapters 11–15 of Canto 7: Teachings on social and spiritual conduct. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 14: Ideal Family Life

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Whatever money a gṛhastha accumulates by the grace of God he should spend in five activities, namely worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, receiving Vaiṣṇavas and saintly persons, distributing prasāda to the general public and to all living entities, offering prasāda to his forefathers, and also offering prasāda to his own self. Gṛhasthas should always be ready to worship everyone as mentioned above.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 7.14
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. purāṇiresidential places or bodies
  2. anenaby Him (the Supreme Personality of Godhead)
  3. sṛṣṭāniamong those creations
  4. nṛman
  5. tiryakother than human beings (animals, birds, etc)
  6. ṛṣisaintly persons
  7. devatāḥand demigods
  8. śetelies down
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Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Āśraya · The summum bonum

    Who is the shelter of everything? · Subject 10 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 7.14

    In this verse: “worship”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 7.14

    In this verse: “material”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 7.14

    In this verse: “mercy”

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 does remembering that the Lord is always with me awaken gratitude?

Practice

Pause today to thank the Lord for sustaining your life and remaining with you.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord Remains With Every Living BeingThis 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 7.14.37? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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