FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.4.15

स कदाचित्सरस्वत्या उपस्पृश्य जलं शुचि: । विविक्त एक आसीन उदिते रविमण्डले ॥ १५ ॥
sa kadācit sarasvatyā
[sa kadaachit sarasvatyaa]
upaspṛśya jalaṁ śuciḥ
[upasprishya jalam shuchih]
vivikta eka āsīna
[vivikta eka aaseena]
udite ravi-maṇḍale
[udite ravi-mandale]
Word-for-word
saḥ — he kadācit — once sarasvatyāḥ — on the bank of the Sarasvatī upaspṛśya — after finishing morning ablutions jalam — water śuciḥ — being purified vivikte — concentration ekaḥ — alone āsīnaḥ — being thus seated udite — on the rise ravi-maṇḍale — of the sun disc.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sa kadācit sarasvatyā
saḥ
he
kadācit
once
sarasvatyāḥ
on the bank of the Sarasvatī
upaspṛśya jalaṁ śuciḥ
upaspṛśya
after finishing morning ablutions
jalam
water
śuciḥ
being purified
vivikta eka āsīna
vivikte
concentration
ekaḥ
alone
āsīnaḥ
being thus seated
udite ravi-maṇḍale
udite
on the rise
ravi-maṇḍale
of the sun disc.
Once upon a time he [Vyāsadeva], as the sun rose, took his morning ablution in the waters of the Sarasvatī and sat alone to concentrate.
Purport

The river Sarasvatī is flowing in the Badarikāśrama area of the Himālayas. So the place indicated here is Śamyāprāsa in Badarikāśrama, where Śrī Vyāsadeva is residing.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
At one time, Vyāsa, performing ācamana with water from the Sarasvatī River, being purified, sat alone in an isolated spot while the sun rose.
Commentary

Upaspṛśya means “having sipped water (ācamana).” The verse is part of a sentence which ends in verse 18.

Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Vyāsa bathed, sat alone, and concentrated. The greatest text in the world begins with the simplest discipline: morning bath, solitude, attention. We sometimes need permission to begin so plainly.
Reflection Questions
  • What modest morning routine could become the soil of my most important work?
  • Where am I waiting for a grand setup when a plain one would do?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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