FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.18.14

ऋषयो दुदुहुर्देवीमिन्द्रियेष्वथ सत्तम । वत्सं बृहस्पतिं कृत्वा पयश्छन्दोमयं शुचि ॥ १४ ॥
ṛṣayo duduhur devīm
[rishayo duduhur deveem]
indriyeṣv atha sattama
[indriyeshv atha sattama]
vatsaṁ bṛhaspatiṁ kṛtvā
[vatsam brihaspatim kritvaa]
payaś chandomayaṁ śuci
[payash chandomayam shuchi]
ṛṣayaḥ — the great sages duduhuḥ — milked devīm — the earth indriyeṣu — in the senses atha — then sattama — O Vidura vatsam — the calf bṛhaspatim — the sage Bṛhaspati kṛtvā — making payaḥ — milk chandaḥ-mayam — in the form of the Vedic hymns śuci — pure.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ṛṣayo duduhur devīm
ṛṣayaḥ
the great sages
duduhuḥ
milked
devīm
the earth
indriyeṣv atha sattama
indriyeṣu
in the senses
atha
then
sattama
O Vidura
vatsaṁ bṛhaspatiṁ kṛtvā
vatsam
the calf
bṛhaspatim
the sage Bṛhaspati
kṛtvā
making
payaś chandomayaṁ śuci
payaḥ
milk
chandaḥ-mayam
in the form of the Vedic hymns
śuci
pure.
All the great sages transformed Bṛhaspati into a calf, and making the senses into a pot, they milked all kinds of Vedic knowledge to purify words, mind and hearing.

Bṛhaspati is the priest of the heavenly planets. Vedic knowledge was received in logical order by the great sages through Bṛhaspati for the benefit of human society, not only on this planet, but throughout the universes. In other words, Vedic knowledge is considered one of the necessities for human society. If human society remains satisfied simply by taking grains from the planet earth, as well as other necessities for maintaining the body, society will not be sufficiently prosperous. Humanity must have food for the mind and ear, as well as for the purpose of vibration. As far as transcendental vibrations are concerned, the essence of all Vedic knowledge is the mahā-mantra — Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. In Kali-yuga, if this Vedic mahā-mantra is chanted regularly and heard regularly by the devotional process of śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, it will purify all societies, and thus humanity will be happy both materially and spiritually.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O Vidura! Making Bṛhaspati the calf, the sages obtained from the earth milk in the form of pure Vedic verses, with the senses as the pot. Devīm is earth. The senses, receiving the Vedas by voice, mind and ears were the pot.
Sages made Bṛhaspati the calf, the senses the pot, and milked Vedic knowledge for purifying words, mind, hearing. To receive Veda, the senses themselves must serve as the receiving vessel; engage all of them.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of my senses is currently the 'unused pot' in my study of scripture?
  • Where could engaging more senses (hearing, speaking, touching the text) deepen my reception?
📝 My note

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