Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvitiya Skandha, Shloka 12

The Lord in the Heart and the Discipline of Yoga-Bhakti

Devanagari script

अदीनलीलाहसितेक्षणोल्लसद्- भ्रूभङ्गसंसूचितभूर्यनुग्रहम् । ईक्षेत चिन्तामयमेनमीश्वरं यावन्मनो धारणयावतिष्ठते ॥ १२ ॥

Transliteration

adīna-līlā-hasitekṣaṇollasad- bhrū-bhaṅga-saṁsūcita-bhūry-anugraham īkṣeta cintāmayam enam īśvaraṁ yāvan mano dhāraṇayāvatiṣṭhate

Translation

Seine großmütigen Līlā, das Leuchten Seines lächelnden Blickes und die Bewegung Seiner Brauen sind Zeichen Seiner reichen Gnade. Darum soll man, solange der Geist in der Meditation standhalten kann, diese transzendente Gestalt des Herrn konzentriert betrachten.

Synonyms

• adīna-līlā-hasita-īkṣaṇa-ullasat: radiant with playful, unwearied smiling glances
• adīna-līlā-hasita-īkṣaṇa-ullasat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-dīna (प्रातिपदिक) + līlā (प्रातिपदिक) + hasita (कृदन्त, √has हस्, क्त) + īkṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ullasat (कृदन्त, ud+√las लस्, शतृ)
• Form: Śatṛ-kr̥danta (शतृ), Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana (as qualifier of īśvaram); बहु-तत्पुरुषः (अदीन-लीला-हसित-ईक्षणेन उल्लसत्)

• bhrū-bhaṅga-saṁsūcita-bhūri-anugraham: whose abundant grace is indicated by a brow movement
• bhrū-bhaṅga-saṁsūcita-bhūri-anugraham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhrū (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + saṁsūcita (कृदन्त, sam+√sūc सूच्, क्त) + bhūri (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + anugraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; तत्पुरुषः (भ्रूभङ्गेन संसूचितः भूर्यनुग्रहः यस्य)

• īkṣeta: one should behold/meditate upon
• īkṣeta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √īkṣ (ईक्ष्)
• Form: Liṅ-lakāra (विधिलिङ्/optative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• cintāmayam: as formed in contemplation
• cintāmayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cintā (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; तत्पुरुषः (चिन्तया मयम् = meditation-formed/filled with thought)

• enam: this (him)
• enam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• īśvaram: the Lord
• īśvaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• yāvat: as long as
• yāvat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; sambandha-avyaya (correlative ‘as long as’)

• manaḥ: the mind
• manaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana

• dhāraṇayā: by concentration
• dhāraṇayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhāraṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana

• avatiṣṭhate: remains steady
• avatiṣṭhate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava + √sthā (स्था)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; ātmanepada

Purport

In Bhagavad-gītā (12.5) it is said that the impersonalist undergoes a series of difficult programs on account of his impersonal meditation. But the devotee, due to the Lord’s personal service, progresses very easily. Impersonal meditation is therefore a source of suffering for the impersonalist. Here, the devotee has an advantage over the impersonalist philosopher. The impersonalist is doubtful about the personal feature of the Lord, and therefore he always tries to meditate upon something which is not objective. For this reason there is an authentic statement in the Bhāgavatam regarding the positive concentration of the mind on the factual form of the Lord.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (the Supreme Lord)

FAQs

How does the Srimad Bhagavatam describe meditation on the Supreme Lord in Canto 2?

This verse teaches dhyāna by fixing the mind on the Lord’s form—His smiling, playful glance and merciful eyebrow gestures—and holding that contemplation as long as the mind can remain steady.

Why is Śukadeva Gosvāmī teaching meditation to King Parīkṣit in this section?

In Canto 2, Śukadeva guides Parīkṣit toward God-realization in limited time, emphasizing practical absorption in the Lord through focused contemplation (dhāraṇā) as a direct path of bhakti.

What is a practical way to apply this shloka’s teaching in modern life?

Choose a sacred form of the Lord (as described in Bhagavatam), contemplate His compassionate, smiling presence daily for a fixed time, and gently return the mind to that remembrance whenever it wanders.