Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.13.16
निम्नगानां यथा गङ्गा देवानामच्युतो यथा ।
वैष्णवानां यथा शम्भु: पुराणानामिदं तथा ॥ १६ ॥
nimna-gānāṁ yathā gaṅgā
[nimna-gaanaam yathaa gangaa]
devānām acyuto yathā
[devaanaam achyuto yathaa]
vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ
[vaishnavaanaam yathaa shambhuh]
purāṇānām idam tathā
[puraanaanaam idam tathaa]
Word-for-word
nimna-gānām
—
of rivers flowing down to the sea
yathā
—
as
gaṅgā
—
the Ganges
devānām
—
of all deities
acyutaḥ
—
the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead
yathā
—
as
vaiṣṇavānām
—
of devotees of Lord Viṣṇu
yathā
—
as
śambhuḥ
—
Śiva
purāṇānām
—
of Purāṇas
idam
—
this
tathā
—
similarly.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
nimna-gānāṁ yathā gaṅgā
nimna-gānām
of rivers flowing down to the sea
yathā
as
gaṅgā
the Ganges
devānām acyuto yathā
devānām
of all deities
acyutaḥ
the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead
yathā
as
vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ
vaiṣṇavānām
of devotees of Lord Viṣṇu
yathā
as
śambhuḥ
Śiva
purāṇānām idam tathā
purāṇānām
of Purāṇas
idam
this
tathā
similarly.
Just as the Gaṅgā is the greatest of all rivers, Lord Acyuta the supreme among deities and Lord Śambhu [Śiva] the greatest of Vaiṣṇavas, so Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the greatest of all Purāṇas.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Just as the Gaṅgā is the greatest of all rivers, Acyuta is the supreme among deities and Śiva is the greatest of Vaiṣṇavas, so Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the greatest of all Purāṇas.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
As Ganga is the greatest river, Acyuta among deities, Sambhu among Vaishnavas — so Bhagavatam is supreme among Puranas. The work names its own seat at the top with calm authority.
Reflection Questions
- Do I let the book claim the high seat in my study, or treat it like one of many?
- What changes when I seat it where it belongs?
My note
Source: vedabase.io