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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
8.5.448.5.46

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.5.45

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

स त्वं नो दर्शयात्मानमस्मत्करणगोचरम् ।

प्रपन्नानां दिद‍ृक्षूणां सस्मितं ते मुखाम्बुजम् ॥ ४५ ॥

sa tvaṁ no darśayātmānam

asmat-karaṇa-gocaram

prapannānāṁ didṛkṣūṇāṁ

sasmitaṁ te mukhāmbujam

Translation

O Supreme Personality of Godhead, we are surrendered unto You, yet we wish to see You. Please make Your original form and smiling lotus face visible to our eyes and appreciable to our other senses.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Long to See the Lord’s Personal Form

  1. 1

    Surrendered devotees are eager to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His original form, with His smiling lotuslike face.

  2. 2

    The Lord has both personal and impersonal features. Lord Brahmā and the members of his disciplic succession seek His personal feature, not the impersonal feature.

  3. 3

    The prayer clearly speaks of the Lord’s smiling face. His personal feature can be directly perceived by our senses.

Key points from the purport
  • The devotees are always eager to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His original form, with His smiling lotuslike face.
  • Without a personal form there can be no question of a smiling face, which is clearly indicated here by the words sasmitam te mukhāmbujam.
  • As clearly stated here, asmat-karaṇa-gocaram: the personal feature of the Lord can be directly perceived by our senses.

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

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. saḥHe (the Supreme Personality of Godhead)
  2. tvamYou are my Lord
  3. naḥto us
  4. darśayabe visible
  5. ātmānamin Your original form
  6. asmat-karaṇa-gocaramappreciable by our direct senses, especially by our eyes
  7. prapannānāmwe are all surrendered unto You
  8. didṛkṣūṇāmyet we wish to see You
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

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

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

    In this verse: “surrendered”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 8.5

    In this verse: “devotees”

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 the Lord’s smiling lotuslike face deepen your sense of a personal relationship with Him?

Practice

Read this prayer slowly, then express your wish to know the Lord in His personal form.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayLong to See the Lord’s Personal FormThis 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 8.5.45? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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