1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

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

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 8 · Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations · 24 chapters

123456789101112131415161718192021222324

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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 7: Lord Śiva Saves the Universe by Drinking Poison
8.7.268.7.28

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.7.27

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The prajāpatissince 8.7.21inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

नाभिर्नभस्ते श्वसनं नभस्वान्

सूर्यश्च चक्षूंषि जलं स्म रेत: ।

परावरात्माश्रयणं तवात्मा

सोमो मनो द्यौर्भगवन् शिरस्ते ॥ २७ ॥

nābhir nabhas te śvasanaṁ nabhasvān

sūryaś ca cakṣūṁṣi jalaṁ sma retaḥ

parāvarātmāśrayaṇaṁ tavātmā

somo mano dyaur bhagavan śiras te

Translation

O lord, the sky is your navel, the air is your breathing, the sun is your eyes, and the water is your semen. You are the shelter of all kinds of living entities, high and low. The god of the moon is your mind, and the upper planetary system is your head.

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.

Shelter for Every Living Entity

  1. 1

    The prayer describes the sky as the lord’s navel, the air as his breathing, and the sun as his eyes.

  2. 2

    Water is described as his semen. He is the shelter of all kinds of living entities, high and low.

  3. 3

    The god of the moon is described as his mind, and the upper planetary system as his head.

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 7: Lord Śiva Saves the Universe by Drinking Poison

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Because the churning rod, Mandara Mountain, was very heavy and was not held by any support in the water, it sank into the ocean, and in this way the prowess of both the demons and the demigods was vanquished. The Supreme Personality of Godhead then appeared in the form of a tortoise and supported Mandara Mountain on His back.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.7
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nābhiḥnavel
  2. nabhaḥthe sky
  3. teof Your Lordship
  4. śvasanambreathing
  5. nabhasvānthe air
  6. sūryaḥ caand the sun globe
  7. cakṣūṁṣiyour eyes
  8. jalamthe water
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

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 8.7

    In this verse: “shelter”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does the phrase “all kinds of living entities, high and low” invite you to reflect on?

Practice

Look at the sky for a moment and recall the prayer’s description of shelter for all living entities.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayShelter for Every Living EntityThis 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 8.7.27? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories