FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.6.11

अथ तस्याभितप्तस्य कतिधायतनानि ह । निरभिद्यन्त देवानां तानि मे गदत: श‍ृणु ॥ ११ ॥
atha tasyābhitaptasya
[atha tasyaabhitaptasya]
katidhāyatanāni ha
[katidhaayatanaani ha]
nirabhidyanta devānāṁ
[nirabhidyanta devaanaam]
tāni me gadataḥ śṛṇu
[taani me gadatah shrinu]
atha — therefore tasya — His abhitaptasya — in terms of His contemplation katidhā — how many āyatanāni — embodiments ha — there were nirabhidyanta — by separated parts devānām — of the demigods tāni — all those me gadataḥ — described by me śṛṇu — just hear.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
atha tasyābhitaptasya
atha
therefore
tasya
His
abhitaptasya
in terms of His contemplation
katidhāyatanāni ha
katidhā
how many
āyatanāni
embodiments
ha
there were
nirabhidyanta devānāṁ
nirabhidyanta
by separated parts
devānām
of the demigods
tāni me gadataḥ śṛṇu
tāni
all those
me gadataḥ
described by me
śṛṇu
just hear.
Maitreya said: You may now hear from me how the Supreme Lord separated Himself into the diverse forms of the demigods after the manifestation of the gigantic universal form.

The demigods are separated parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, as are all other living entities. The only difference between the demigods and the ordinary living entities is that when the living entities are rich in pious acts of devotional service to the Lord, and when their desire to lord it over material energy has vanished, they are promoted to the posts of demigods, who are entrusted by the Lord with executing the management of the universal affairs.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
In this universal form which had appeared, places arose for the various devatās. Hear about these from me as I speak. Various abodes for the devatās became differentiated in this form manifested (abhitaptasya) by the Lord. Hear from me (me).
Devotional service is named here as the central fact of spiritual life, not a hobby alongside it. The verse asks us to make the Lord the actual recipient of our daily activity rather than a polite afterthought. The pivot here is devotional service to the Lord.
Reflection Questions
  • Where is your devotional life mostly verbal, and where is it actually costing you something?
  • Whom in your life would notice if your devotional service deepened, and what would they see?
📝 My note

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