FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.20.23

आप: पुरुषवीर्या: स्थ पुनन्तीर्भूर्भुव:सुव: । ता न: पुनीतामीवघ्नी: स्पृशतामात्मना भुव इति ॥ २३ ॥
āpaḥ puruṣa-vīryāḥ stha
[aapah purusha-veeryaah stha]
punantīr bhūr-bhuvaḥ-suvaḥ
[punanteer bhoor-bhuvah-suvah]
tā naḥ punītāmīva-ghnīḥ
[taa nah puneetaameeva-ghneeh]
spṛśatām ātmanā bhuva iti
[sprishataam aatmanaa bhuva iti]
Word-for-word
āpaḥ — O water puruṣa-vīryāḥ — endowed with the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead stha — you are punantīḥ — sanctifying bhūḥ — of the planetary system known as Bhūḥ bhuvaḥ — of the Bhuvaḥ planetary system suvaḥ — of the Svaḥ planetary system tāḥ — that water naḥ — of us punīta — purify amīva-ghnīḥ — who destroys sin spṛśatām — of those touching ātmanā — by your constitutional position bhuvaḥ — the bodies iti — thus.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
āpaḥ puruṣa-vīryāḥ stha
āpaḥ
O water
puruṣa-vīryāḥ
endowed with the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
stha
you are
punantīr bhūr-bhuvaḥ-suvaḥ
punantīḥ
sanctifying
bhūḥ
of the planetary system known as Bhūḥ
bhuvaḥ
of the Bhuvaḥ planetary system
suvaḥ
of the Svaḥ planetary system
tā naḥ punītāmīva-ghnīḥ
tāḥ
that water
naḥ
of us
punīta
purify
amīva-ghnīḥ
who destroys sin
spṛśatām ātmanā bhuva iti
spṛśatām
of those touching
ātmanā
by your constitutional position
bhuvaḥ
the bodies
iti
thus.
[The inhabitants of Krauñcadvīpa worship with this mantra.] O water of the rivers, you have obtained energy from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore you purify the three planetary systems, known as Bhūloka, Bhuvarloka and Svarloka. By your constitutional nature, you take away sins, and that is why we are touching you. Kindly continue to purify us.
Purport

Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (7.4) :

bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

“Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego — all together these eight comprise My separated material energies.”

The energy of the Lord acts throughout the creation, just as heat and light, the energies of the sun, act within the universe and make everything work. The specific rivers mentioned in the śāstras are also energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and people who regularly bathe in them are purified. It can actually be seen that many people are cured of diseases simply by bathing in the Ganges. Similarly, the inhabitants of Krauñcadvīpa purify themselves by bathing in the rivers there.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O water! Your abilities have been given to you by the Lord. You are the purifier of the three worlds. Purify the bodies of us, who touch you, since you are the destroyer of sins by your presence. O water! Your abilities have been given by the Lord (puruṣa-vīryāḥ). You purify the three worlds (bhūr-bhuvaḥ-suvaḥ. Purify -bodies (bhuvaḥ) of us, who are touching you, since you destroy sin by your svarūpa (ātmanā).
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Water that has been energized by the Supreme Lord purifies whoever touches it. Whatever has been touched by the Lord transmits His purifying energy. Look for what He has touched and put yourself in contact.
Reflection Questions
  • What has the Lord touched in my reach (a name, a place, a person, a text) that I have not been letting touch me?
  • How can I increase my points of contact with what He has charged?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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