FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.28.25

नाभिह्रदं भुवनकोशगुहोदरस्थं यत्रात्मयोनिधिषणाखिललोकपद्मम् । व्यूढं हरिन्मणिवृषस्तनयोरमुष्य ध्यायेद्‍द्वयं विशदहारमयूखगौरम् ॥ २५ ॥
nābhi-hradaṁ bhuvana-kośa-guhodara-sthaṁ
[naabhi-hradam bhuvana-kosha-guhodara-stham]
yatrātma-yoni-dhiṣaṇākhila-loka-padmam
[yatraatma-yoni-dhishanaakhila-loka-padmam]
vyūḍhaṁ harin-maṇi-vṛṣa-stanayor amuṣya
[vyoodham harin-mani-vrisha-stanayor amushya]
dhyāyed dvayaṁ viśada-hāra-mayūkha-gauram
[dhyaayed dvayam vishada-haara-mayookha-gauram]
nābhi-hradam — the navel lake bhuvana-kośa — of all the worlds guhā — the foundation udara — on the abdomen stham — situated yatra — where ātma-yoni — of Brahmā dhiṣaṇa — residence akhila-loka — containing all planetary systems padmam — lotus vyūḍham — sprang up harit-maṇi — like emeralds vṛṣa — most exquisite stanayoḥ — of nipples amuṣya — of the Lord dhyāyet — he should meditate on dvayam — the pair viśada — white hāra — of pearl necklaces mayūkha — from the light gauram — whitish.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
nābhi-hradaṁ bhuvana-kośa-guhodara-sthaṁ
nābhi-hradam
the navel lake
bhuvana-kośa
of all the worlds
guhā
the foundation
yatrātma-yoni-dhiṣaṇākhila-loka-padmam
vyūḍhaṁ harin-maṇi-vṛṣa-stanayor amuṣya
udara
on the abdomen
stham
situated
yatra
where
ātma-yoni
of Brahmā
dhyāyed dvayaṁ viśada-hāra-mayūkha-gauram
dhiṣaṇa
residence
akhila-loka
containing all planetary systems
padmam
lotus
vyūḍham
sprang up
harit-maṇi
like emeralds
vṛṣa
most exquisite
stanayoḥ
of nipples
amuṣya
of the Lord
dhyāyet
he should meditate on
dvayam
the pair
viśada
white
hāra
of pearl necklaces
mayūkha
from the light
gauram
whitish.
The yogī should then meditate on His moonlike navel in the center of His abdomen. From His navel, which is the foundation of the entire universe, sprang the lotus stem containing all the different planetary systems. The lotus is the residence of Brahmā, the first created being. In the same way, the yogī should concentrate his mind on the Lord’s nipples, which resemble a pair of most exquisite emeralds and which appear whitish because of the rays of the milk-white pearl necklaces adorning His chest.

The yogī is advised next to meditate upon the navel of the Lord, which is the foundation of all material creation. Just as a child is connected to his mother by the umbilical cord, so the first-born living creature, Brahmā, by the supreme will of the Lord, is connected to the Lord by a lotus stem. In the previous verse it was stated that the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, who engages in massaging the legs, ankles and thighs of the Lord, is called the mother of Brahmā, but actually Brahmā is born from the abdomen of the Lord, not from the abdomen of his mother. These are inconceivable conceptions of the Lord, and one should not think materially, “How can the father give birth to a child?”

It is explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā that each limb of the Lord has the potency of every other limb; because everything is spiritual, His parts are not conditioned. The Lord can see with His ears. The material ear can hear but cannot see, but we understand from the Brahma-saṁhitā that the Lord can also see with His ears and hear with His eyes. Any organ of His transcendental body can function as any other organ. His abdomen is the foundation of all the planetary systems. Brahmā holds the post of the creator of all planetary systems, but his engineering energy is generated from the abdomen of the Lord. Any creative function in the universe always has a direct connecting link with the Lord. The necklace of pearls which decorates the upper portion of the Lord’s body is also spiritual, and therefore the yogī is advised to gaze at the whitish luster of the pearls decorating His chest.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
One should meditate on the navel lake of the Lord, situated on his abdomen, the base of all the worlds, from which the lotus residence of Brahmā sprouts, containing all the planets. One should meditate upon the two nipples of the Lord, like the best of emeralds, made white by the light from his shining pearl necklace. One should meditate on the navel lake of Garbhodakaśāyī, situated on his abdomen, which is the foundation fro all of the worlds, from which sprang up the lotus residence of Brahmā, containing all the planets. One should meditate on the two nipples of the Lord, circular in shape, like the best (vṛṣa) emeralds, or which have righteousness (vṛṣa), and are the color of emeralds, since his right breast represents dharma. The nipples become white by the light from the shining pearl necklace. One should also meditate on the Śrīvatsa mark, turning to the right, above his right nipple, which glows white like the pearl necklace.
The scale of the creation in this verse is not given to overwhelm us but to right-size us. Most of our anxiety shrinks when our self-importance shrinks.
Reflection Questions
  • How does it change your day to remember the universe was not built around your preferences?
  • Which 'cosmic' problem are you trying to solve when your actual task is just to play your small part well?
📝 My note

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