FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.2

सूत उवाच ब्रह्मनद्यां सरस्वत्यामाश्रम: पश्चिमे तटे । शम्याप्रास इति प्रोक्त ऋषीणां सत्रवर्धन: ॥ २ ॥
sūta uvāca
[soota uvaacha]
brahma-nadyāṁ sarasvatyām
[brahma-nadyaam sarasvatyaam]
āśramaḥ paścime taṭe
[aashramah pashchime tate]
śamyāprāsa iti prokta
[shamyaapraasa iti prokta]
ṛṣīṇāṁ satra-vardhanaḥ
[risheenaam satra-vardhanah]
Word-for-word
sūtaḥ — Śrī Sūta uvāca — said brahma-nadyām — on the bank of the river intimately related with Vedas, brāhmaṇas, saints, and the Lord sarasvatyām — Sarasvatī āśramaḥ — cottage for meditation paścime — on the west taṭe — bank śamyāprāsaḥ — the place named Śamyāprāsa iti — thus proktaḥ — said to be ṛṣīṇām — of the sages satra-vardhanaḥ — that which enlivens activities.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sūta uvāca
sūtaḥ
Śrī Sūta
uvāca
said
brahma-nadyāṁ sarasvatyām
brahma-nadyām
on the bank of the river intimately related with Vedas, brāhmaṇas, saints, and the Lord
sarasvatyām
Sarasvatī
āśramaḥ paścime taṭe
āśramaḥ
cottage for meditation
paścime
on the west
taṭe
bank
śamyāprāsa iti prokta
śamyāprāsaḥ
the place named Śamyāprāsa
iti
thus
proktaḥ
said to be
ṛṣīṇāṁ satra-vardhanaḥ
ṛṣīṇām
of the sages
satra-vardhanaḥ
that which enlivens activities.
Śrī Sūta said: On the western bank of the river Sarasvatī, which is intimately related with the Vedas, there is a cottage for meditation at Śamyāprāsa which enlivens the transcendental activities of the sages.
Purport

For spiritual advancement of knowledge a suitable place and atmosphere are definitely required. The place on the western bank of the Sarasvatī is especially suitable for this purpose. And there is the āśrama of Vyāsadeva at Śamyāprāsa. Śrīla Vyāsadeva was a householder, yet his residential place is called an āśrama. An āśrama is a place where spiritual culture is always foremost. It does not matter whether the place belongs to a householder or a mendicant. The whole varṇāśrama system is so designed that each and every status of life is called an āśrama. This means that spiritual culture is the common factor for all. The brahmacārīs, the gṛhasthas, the vānaprasthas and the sannyāsīs all belong to the same mission of life, namely, realization of the Supreme. Therefore none of them are less important as far as spiritual culture is concerned. The difference is a matter of formality on the strength of renunciation. The sannyāsīs are held in high estimation on the strength of practical renunciation.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Sūta said: There is a hermitage for sages called Śamyāprāsa, favorable for many sacrifices, situated on the west bank of the Sarasvatī River where brāhmaṇas take shelter.
Commentary

Brahma-nadyām can mean river of the Vedas, of the brāhmaṇas, of austerity, of the Lord. Amara-koṣa says vedas tattvaṁ tapo brahma brahmā vipraḥ prajāpatir: the word brahma can mean Veda, truth, austerity, the brahman, Lord Brahmā, a brāhmaṇa, and a progenitor.

Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Vyāsa sat in a meditation cottage on the bank of the Sarasvatī, river of the Vedas. Place matters for inner work — sacred geography supports sacred attention. Where you sit shapes how you think.
Reflection Questions
  • Where in my home or city do I do my best inner work?
  • What would it take to create a stable, quiet 'cottage' in my life?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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