FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.76.22

क्व‍‍चिद्भ‍ूमौ क्व‍‍चिद् व्योम्नि गिरिमूर्ध्‍नि जले क्व‍‍चित् । अलातचक्रवद् भ्राम्यत् सौभं तद् दुरवस्थितम् ॥ २२ ॥
kvacid bhūmau kvacid vyomni
[kvachid bhoomau kvachid vyomni]
giri-mūrdhni jale kvacit
[giri-moordhni jale kvachit]
alāta-cakra-vad bhrāmyat
[alaata-chakra-vad bhraamyat]
saubhaṁ tad duravasthitam
[saubham tad duravasthitam]
kvacit — at one moment bhūmau — on the earth kvacit — at one moment vyomni — in the sky giri — of a mountain mūrdhni — on the top jale — in the water kvacit — at one moment alāta - cakra — a whirling firebrand vat — like bhrāmyat — wandering saubham — Saubha tat — that duravasthitam — never remaining in one place .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kvacid bhūmau kvacid vyomni
kvacit
at one moment
bhūmau
on the earth
kvacit
at one moment
vyomni
in the sky
giri-mūrdhni jale kvacit
giri
of a mountain
mūrdhni
on the top
jale
in the water
kvacit
at one moment
alāta-cakra-vad bhrāmyat
alāta - cakra
a whirling firebrand
vat
like
bhrāmyat
wandering
saubhaṁ tad duravasthitam
saubham
Saubha
tat
that
duravasthitam
never remaining in one place .
  • alāta-cakra — a whirling firebrand
    Contiguous join (alāta + cakra) from synonyms. Classical Indian image for illusory continuity — used in Māṇḍūkya-kārikā and the Yoga-vāsiṣṭha. Bhāgavatam appropriates it here for a flying asuric city: saṁsāra wearing iron.
  • bhrāmyat — wandering
    Present participle of √bhram — to whirl, to be deluded. Same root as bhrama (error). The asura's vehicle and the asura's mind share one verb: both whirl.
  • duravasthitam — never remaining in one place
    duḥ + ava + √sthā. Hard to stay-put. The whole asuric career is duravasthita; only the devotee's heart rests in Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet — su-avasthita.
  • vyomni — in the sky
    Locative of vyoman. The Upaniṣads use vyoman for the supreme space; Bhāgavatam often distinguishes bhautika-vyoman (material sky) from cid-vyoman (Vaikuṇṭha). Saubha rides bhautika-vyoman only.
  • kvacit — at one moment
    Indefinite adverb of location/time. Repeated four times in this short verse — the very rhythm enacts Saubha's restlessness. Bhāgavata prosody often performs its subject.
From one moment to the next the Saubha airship appeared on the earth, in the sky, on a mountain peak or in the water. Like a whirling, flaming baton, it never remained in any one place.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
From one moment to the next the Saubha airship appeared on the earth, in the sky, on a mountain peak or in the water. Like a whirling, flaming baton, it never remained in any one place.
Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Sometimes it appeared on top of Raivataka Mountain.

Related values
Sthitaprajna (Steady Wisdom)Adambhitva (Non-hypocrisy / Authenticity)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)Discriminative Wisdom
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva
From moment to moment, Saubha appeared on earth, sky, mountain peak, water — a whirling flaming baton. Some opponents will never settle in one place; we have to learn to fight a moving target.
Reflection Questions
  • What in my struggle never stays put long enough to address directly?
  • What approach handles motion rather than stillness?

Like a torch whirled in the dark — alāta-cakra — that draws a circle which is no real circle but only the persistence of one fire's motion, Saubha appears as multiple cities at once. The Vedānta uses the very same image (alāta-cakra-vat) for saṁsāra itself: motion mistaken for substance.

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