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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 5: The Demigods Appeal to the Lord for Protection
8.5.378.5.39

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.5.38

Sarga· Creation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Brahmāsince 8.5.26inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रोत्राद् दिशो यस्य हृदश्च खानि

प्रजज्ञिरे खं पुरुषस्य नाभ्या: ।

प्राणेन्द्रियात्मासुशरीरकेत:

प्रसीदतां न: स महाविभूति: ॥ ३८ ॥

śrotrād diśo yasya hṛdaś ca khāni

prajajñire khaṁ puruṣasya nābhyāḥ

prāṇendriyātmāsu-śarīra-ketaḥ

prasīdatāṁ naḥ sa mahā-vibhūtiḥ

Translation

May the supremely powerful Personality of Godhead be pleased with us. The different directions are generated from His ears, the holes of the body come from His heart, and the vital force, the senses, the mind, the air within the body, and the ether, which is the shelter of the body, come from His navel.

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.

Our Faculties Have Their Source in Him

  1. 1

    The different directions are generated from the Lord's ears, and the openings of the body come from His heart.

  2. 2

    The vital force, senses, mind, and air within the body come from His navel. Ether, the shelter of the body, also comes from Him.

  3. 3

    The prayer addresses the Supreme Personality of Godhead as supremely powerful and asks that He be pleased with us.

How it feels

Danger and ambition → Divine rescue and surprise. Cooperation, rivalry and revelation alternate rapidly.

Chapters 5–12 of Canto 8: Churning the ocean, poison and nectar. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 5: The Demigods Appeal to the Lord for Protection

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The wife of Vairāja, whose name was Devasambhūti, gave birth to Ajita, an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This Ajita, taking the shape of a tortoise and holding the mountain known as Mandara on His back, churned the ocean and produced nectar for the demigods.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.5
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrotrātfrom the ears
  2. diśaḥdifferent directions
  3. yasyaof whom
  4. hṛdaḥfrom the heart
  5. caalso
  6. khānithe holes of the body
  7. prajajñiregenerated
  8. khamthe sky
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Sarga · The creation of the universe

    Where does the universe come from? · Subject 1 of 10

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 8.5

    In this verse: “shelter”

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 remembering the source of my mind and senses guide their use today?

Practice

Use your mind for a brief prayer today: ask that the supremely powerful Lord be pleased with you.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayOur Faculties Have Their Source in HimThis 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 8.5.38? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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