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

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Canto 8 · Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations · 24 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 8 · Chapter 1: The Manus, Administrators of the Universe
8.1.118.1.13

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.1.12

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Manusince 8.1.9inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

न यस्याद्यन्तौ मध्यं च स्व: परो नान्तरं बहि: ।

विश्वस्यामूनि यद् यस्माद् विश्वं च तद‍ृतं महत् ॥ १२ ॥

na yasyādy-antau madhyaṁ ca

svaḥ paro nāntaraṁ bahiḥ

viśvasyāmūni yad yasmād

viśvaṁ ca tad ṛtaṁ mahat

Translation

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no beginning, no end and no middle. Nor does He belong to a particular person or nation. He has no inside or outside. The dualities found within this material world, such as beginning and end, mine and theirs, are all absent from the personality of the Supreme Lord. The universe, which emanates from Him, is another feature of the Lord. Therefore the Supreme Lord is the ultimate truth, and He is complete in greatness.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Kṛṣṇa Is the Cause of All Causes

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the origin of everything, but He has no origin. His body is eternal, blissful and spiritual.

  2. 2

    The Lord is present in everything and expanded in everything, yet He is not everything. He is simultaneously one with and different from His creation.

  3. 3

    Material distinctions such as beginning, middle and end do not apply to the Lord, nor does He belong to one person or nation. Present everywhere and at all times, He is the Absolute Truth, complete in greatness.

Key points from the purport
  • The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.1):
  • In the material condition we have a conception of beginning, end and middle, but for the Supreme Personality of Godhead there are no such things.
  • Therefore, since the Lord is present everywhere and all the time, He is the Absolute Truth and the greatest.

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

Helplessness → Surrender and rescue. A mighty animal finally realizes the limits of strength.

Chapters 1–4 of Canto 8: Gajendra's struggle and prayers. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 1: The Manus, Administrators of the Universe

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Fortunately, scholars all over the world are appreciating these publications. Let us cooperatively publish more and more volumes of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam just to please His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.1
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. naneither
  2. yasyaof whom (the Supreme Personality of Godhead)
  3. ādia beginning
  4. antauend
  5. madhyammiddle
  6. caalso
  7. svaḥown
  8. paraḥothers
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 8.1

    In this verse: “material”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 8.1

    In this verse: “absolute truth”

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 knowing that Kṛṣṇa belongs to no particular person or nation broaden your understanding of Him?

Practice

Take a quiet moment today to reflect on Kṛṣṇa as the cause of everything, who Himself has no cause.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Is the Cause of All CausesThis 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 8.1.12? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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