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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 16: Executing the Payo-vrata Process of Worship
8.16.338.16.35

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.16.34

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śrī Kaśyapa Munisince 8.16.24inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

नमस्त आदिदेवाय साक्षिभूताय ते नम: ।

नारायणाय ऋषये नराय हरये नम: ॥ ३४ ॥

namas ta ādi-devāya

sākṣi-bhūtāya te namaḥ

nārāyaṇāya ṛṣaye

narāya haraye namaḥ

Translation

I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, who are the original Personality of Godhead, the witness in everyone’s heart, and the incarnation of Nara-Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi in the form of a human being. O Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto 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.

Remember the Witness in Your Heart

  1. 1

    The Lord is the original Personality of Godhead. The prayer addresses Him with respectful obeisances.

  2. 2

    He is the witness in everyone’s heart. His presence is not limited to any one person.

  3. 3

    The prayer honors His incarnation as Nara-Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi in the form of a human being.

How it feels

Loss and hope → Revelation. A shift in fortune sets up a spiritual test.

Chapters 15–18 of Canto 8: Bali, Aditi and Vāmana's appearance. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 16: Executing the Payo-vrata Process of Worship

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

She then requested him to tell her how her sons could return and reoccupy their positions. She wanted all good fortune for her sons.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.16
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. namaḥ teI offer my respectful obeisances unto You
  2. ādi-devāyawho are the original Personality of Godhead
  3. sākṣi-bhūtāyathe witness of everything within the heart of everyone
  4. teunto You
  5. namaḥI offer my respectful obeisances
  6. nārāyaṇāyawho take the incarnation of Nārāyaṇa
  7. ṛṣayethe sage
  8. narāyathe incarnation of a human being
  9. harayeunto the Supreme Personality of Godhead
  10. namaḥI offer my respectful obeisances
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Īśānukathā · The science of God

    Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10

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 the Lord as the witness in my heart affect my thoughts and choices?

Practice

Before one decision today, pause and remember the Lord as the witness in your heart.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRemember the Witness in Your HeartThis 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 8.16.34? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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