Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 18

Kapila Describes Bhakti-Saturated Aṣṭāṅga-Yoga and Meditation on the Lord’s Form

Devanagari script

कीर्तन्यतीर्थयशसं पुण्यश्लोकयशस्करम् । ध्यायेद्देवं समग्राङ्गं यावन्न च्यवते मन: ॥ १८ ॥

Transliteration

kīrtanya-tīrtha-yaśasaṁ puṇya-śloka-yaśaskaram dhyāyed devaṁ samagrāṅgaṁ yāvan na cyavate manaḥ

Translation

ربّ کی شان و یَش گانے کے لائق ایک پاکیزہ تیرتھ ہے؛ اس کی عظمت بھکتوں کی عظمت کو بھی بڑھاتی ہے۔ لہٰذا پرم پرش کے کامل دِویہ روپ کا دھیان کرو، یہاں تک کہ دل و دماغ ڈگمگائے نہیں اور ثابت قدم ہو جائے۔

Synonyms

• kīrtanya: worthy of being sung
• kīrtanya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kīrtanya (प्रातिपदिक; √kīrt धातु + ya)
• Form: Napuṁsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; qualifier in compound

• tīrtha: holy place/pilgrimage
• tīrtha: Upapada (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṁsakaliṅga, stem in compound

• yaśasam: whose fame is a holy pilgrimage and worthy of praise
• yaśasam: Karma (कर्म) / Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: yaśas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṁsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: kīrtanya-tīrtha-yaśas = kīrtanyaṁ tīrthaṁ yaśaḥ yasya / or tīrtha-bhūtaṁ yaśaḥ (fame that is a pilgrimage and to be sung) used as epithet

• puṇya: holy/meritorious
• puṇya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṁsakaliṅga, stem in compound

• śloka: verse; praise
• śloka: Upapada (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śloka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, stem in compound

• yaśaḥ-karam: producer of fame through sacred praise
• yaśaḥ-karam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yaśas (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ धातु + a)
• Form: Napuṁsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: puṇya-śloka-yaśaḥ-kara = puṇya-ślokaḥ yaśaḥ karoti (that which produces fame through holy praise)

• dhyāyet: one should meditate
• dhyāyet: Vidhi (विधि) / Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhyai (ध्यै धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• devam: the Lord
• devam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative), Ekavacana

• samagra-aṅgam: with all limbs complete (entire form)
• samagra-aṅgam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samagra (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṁsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya: samagraṁ aṅgaṁ yasya / samagrāṇi aṅgāni (whole-bodied, complete in limbs) as epithet of devam

• yāvat: as long as/until
• yāvat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (conjunction/particle; limitative ‘until/as long as’)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (negation particle/निषेध)

• cyavate: deviates/falls away
• cyavate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √cyu (च्यु धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present/लट्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; ātmanepada

• manaḥ: the mind
• manaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṁsakaliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana

Purport

One has to fix his mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead constantly. When one is accustomed to thinking of one of the innumerable forms of the Lord — Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, Rāma, Nārāyaṇa, etc. — he has reached the perfection of yoga. This is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā: a person who has developed pure love for the Lord, and whose eyes are smeared with the ointment of transcendental loving exchange, always sees within his heart the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The devotees especially see the Lord in the beautiful blackish form of Śyāmasundara. That is the perfection of yoga. This yoga system should be continued until the mind does not vacillate for a moment. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ: the form of Viṣṇu is the highest individuality and is always visible to sages and saintly persons.

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• Devahuti

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam (Canto 3) say about meditating on the Lord’s form?

It teaches to meditate on the Lord’s complete personal form (samagrāṅga) and to continue steadily until the mind no longer wavers.

Why does Kapila tell Devahuti to meditate until the mind does not slip?

Because stable remembrance is the sign of deepening absorption; sustained devotion-focused meditation gradually makes the mind steady and fixed on Bhagavān.

How can I apply this verse in modern life for mental focus and devotion?

Set a daily time for focused japa/visualization of the Lord’s form, reduce distractions, and gently return the mind to Him repeatedly until steadiness becomes natural.