Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 10
Nābhi’s Sacrifice and Lord Viṣṇu’s Promise to Appear as a Son (Ṛṣabhadeva’s Advent Prelude)
अथायमेव वरो ह्यर्हत्तम यर्हि बर्हिषि राजर्षेर्वरदर्षभो भवान्निजपुरुषेक्षणविषय आसीत् ॥ १० ॥
athāyam eva varo hy arhattama yarhi barhiṣi rājarṣer varadarṣabho bhavān nija-puruṣekṣaṇa-viṣaya āsīt.
O most worshipable Lord, You are the supreme giver of boons. Your appearance in the sacrificial arena of the saintly King Nābhi is for our blessing. Because we have beheld You, You have granted us the most precious benediction.
Nija-puruṣa-īkṣaṇa-viṣaya. In Bhagavad-gītā (9.29) Kṛṣṇa says, samo ’haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu: “I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.”
FAQs
This verse presents divine darśana—Bhagavān becoming the direct object of one’s vision—as the supreme blessing, surpassing ordinary results of ritual or worldly benedictions.
The verse highlights that even in the context of sacrifice, the ultimate perfection is not merely ritual success but the Lord’s self-revelation—His grace making Him visible to the devotee.
By performing one’s duties as devotion (bhakti) and praying for the Lord’s mercy rather than material outcomes—cultivating purity, remembrance, and sincere longing for His presence.