FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.25.2

रुद्रगीतं भगवत: स्तोत्रं सर्वे प्रचेतस: । जपन्तस्ते तपस्तेपुर्वर्षाणामयुतं जले ॥ २ ॥
rudra-gītaṁ bhagavataḥ
[rudra-geetam bhagavatah]
stotraṁ sarve pracetasaḥ
[stotram sarve prachetasah]
japantas te tapas tepur
[japantas te tapas tepur]
varṣāṇām ayutaṁ jale
[varshaanaam ayutam jale]
rudra-gītam — the song sung by Lord Śiva bhagavataḥ — of the Lord stotram — prayer sarve — all pracetasaḥ — the princes known as the Pracetās japantaḥ — reciting te — all of them tapaḥ — austerity tepuḥ — executed varṣāṇām — of years ayutam — ten thousand jale — within the water.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
rudra-gītaṁ bhagavataḥ
rudra-gītam
the song sung by Lord Śiva
bhagavataḥ
of the Lord
stotraṁ sarve pracetasaḥ
stotram
prayer
sarve
all
pracetasaḥ
the princes known as the Pracetās
japantas te tapas tepur
japantaḥ
reciting
te
all of them
tapaḥ
austerity
tepuḥ
executed
varṣāṇām ayutaṁ jale
varṣāṇām
of years
ayutam
ten thousand
jale
within the water.
All the Pracetā princes simply stood in the water for ten thousand years and recited the prayers given to them by Lord Śiva.

Of course in the modern age one may be amazed how the princes could stand in the water for ten thousand years. However, living within air or living within water is the same process; one simply has to learn how to do it. The aquatics live within water for their whole life span. Certain favorable conditions are created to enable them to live within water. In those days, however, people used to live for one hundred thousand years. Out of so many years, if one could spare ten thousand years for the sake of austerity, he would be assured of success in his future life. This was not very astonishing. Although such a feat is impossible in this age, it was quite possible in Satya-yuga.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Chanting Śiva’s song concerning the Lord, the Pracetās performed austerities for ten thousand years in the water.
The Pracetās stood in water for 10,000 years reciting Śiva's prayers. Sustained practice in one place over enormous time is the engine of real austerity; modern impatience cannot match it.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I expect quick results that scripture treats as multi-millennial?
  • What practice would I do for years if I trusted scripture's timeline?
📝 My note

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