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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 3: Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Plan to Become Immortal
7.3.257.3.28

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 7.3.26-27

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Nārada Munisince 7.3.22inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira

श्रीहिरण्यकशिपुरुवाच

कल्पान्ते कालसृष्टेन योऽन्धेन तमसावृतम् ।

अभिव्यनग्जगदिदं स्वयञ्‍ज्योति: स्वरोचिषा ॥ २६ ॥

आत्मना त्रिवृता चेदं सृजत्यवति लुम्पति ।

रज:सत्त्वतमोधाम्ने पराय महते नम: ॥ २७ ॥

śrī-hiraṇyakaśipur uvāca

kalpānte kāla-sṛṣṭena

yo ’ndhena tamasāvṛtam

abhivyanag jagad idaṁ

svayañjyotiḥ sva-rociṣā

ātmanā tri-vṛtā cedaṁ

sṛjaty avati lumpati

rajaḥ-sattva-tamo-dhāmne

parāya mahate namaḥ

Translation

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the supreme lord within this universe. At the end of each day of his life, the universe is fully covered with dense darkness by the influence of time, and then again, during his next day, that self-effulgent lord, by his own effulgence, manifests, maintains and destroys the entire cosmic manifestation through the material energy, which is invested with the three modes of material nature. He, Lord Brahmā, is the shelter of those modes of nature — sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa Creates; Brahmā Engineers

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the original creator. Lord Brahmā is the secondary creator, empowered by Kṛṣṇa to engineer the universe.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇa creates the total material energy. Brahmā uses what the Lord has supplied, working through the three modes of material nature.

  3. 3

    At the end of Brahmā’s day, everything up to Svargaloka is inundated with water. The next morning, Brahmā again brings the phenomenal manifestation into existence.

Key points from the purport
  • The total material energy is created by Kṛṣṇa, and later, taking advantage of all that has necessarily been created, Lord Brahmā engineers the entire phenomenal universe.
  • Trīn guṇān vṛṇoti: Lord Brahmā takes advantage of the three modes of material nature.
  • Thus Lord Kṛṣṇa is the original creator, and Lord Brahmā is the original engineer.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

How it feels

Pride and rage → Oppression. The ruler's power intensifies his insecurity.

Chapters 1–4 of Canto 7: Hiraṇyakaśipu's ascent and intimidation. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 3: Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Plan to Become Immortal

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Hiraṇyakaśipu, the King of the Daityas, bowed down before Lord Brahmā, the creator of this universe, offering respectful obeisances again and again and offering prayers.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 7.3
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-hiraṇyakaśipuḥ uvācaHiraṇyakaśipu said
  2. kalpa-anteat the end of every day of Lord Brahmā
  3. kāla-sṛṣṭenacreated by the time factor
  4. yaḥhe who
  5. andhenaby dense darkness
  6. tamasāby ignorance
  7. āvṛtamcovered
  8. abhivyanakmanifested
3

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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 7.3

    In this verse: “material”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 7.3

    In this verse: “shelter”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does distinguishing the original creator from the engineer deepen my understanding of Brahmā’s dependence?

Practice

Write one sentence explaining the distinction between Kṛṣṇa’s role and Brahmā’s role in creation.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Creates; Brahmā EngineersThis 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 7.3.26-27? Get an answer from the verses themselves.