Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 42

Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi Meets Lord Śiva: Devotee as Living Tīrtha and the Lord’s Māyā

Devanagari script

य एवमेतद् भृगुवर्य वर्णितं रथाङ्गपाणेरनुभावभावितम् । संश्रावयेत् संश‍ृणुयादु तावुभौ तयोर्न कर्माशयसंसृतिर्भवेत् ॥ ४२ ॥

Transliteration

ya evam etad bhṛgu-varya varṇitaṁ rathāṅga-pāṇer anubhāva-bhāvitam saṁśrāvayet saṁśṛṇuyād u tāv ubhau tayor na karmāśaya-saṁsṛtir bhavet

Translation

Hỡi bậc tối thượng trong dòng Bhṛgu, câu chuyện về hiền triết Mārkaṇḍeya này thấm đẫm năng lực siêu việt của Đấng Tối Thượng, Đấng cầm bánh xe. Ai thuật lại đúng pháp hoặc lắng nghe với lòng tin sẽ không còn rơi vào luân hồi vật chất dựa trên dục vọng cầu quả báo nghiệp nữa.

Synonyms

• bhṛgu: varya — O best of the descendants of Bhṛgu (Śaunaka)

• ratha: aṅga - pāṇeḥ — of Lord Śrī Hari, who carries a chariot wheel in His hand

• karma: āśaya — based on the mentality of fruitive work

Purport

Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Twelfth Canto, Tenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Lord Śiva and Umā Glorify Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi.”

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛgu
• Rathāṅgapāṇi (Śrī Viṣṇu / the Lord holding Sudarśana)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about liberation through hearing and reciting?

This verse states that both the reciter who makes others hear and the listener who hears with attention become freed from saṁsāra arising from karmic desires and latent impressions (karma-āśaya).

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī emphasize hearing (śravaṇa) and recitation (kīrtana) here?

He highlights that Bhagavata-kathā is permeated with the Lord’s spiritual potency; therefore, contact through hearing and speaking directly purifies the heart and cuts the bondage created by karmic intent.

Practical application of this teaching in modern life?

Set a steady routine to hear Srimad Bhagavatam (live class, audio, or reading) and also share it with others; consistent śravaṇa-kīrtana reshapes desires and reduces the karmic momentum that drives anxiety and repeated harmful patterns.