Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.5.34
सोमं मनो यस्य समामनन्ति
दिवौकसां यो बलमन्ध आयु: ।
ईशो नगानां प्रजन: प्रजानां
प्रसीदतां न: स महाविभूति: ॥ ३४ ॥
somaṁ mano yasya samāmananti
[somam mano yasya samaamananti]
divaukasāṁ yo balam andha āyuḥ
[divaukasaam yo balam andha aayuh]
īśo nagānāṁ prajanaḥ prajānāṁ
[eesho nagaanaam prajanah prajaanaam]
prasīdatāṁ naḥ sa mahā-vibhūtiḥ
[praseedataam nah sa mahaa-vibhootih]
Word-for-word
somam
—
the moon
manaḥ
—
the mind
yasya
—
of whom (of the Supreme Personality of Godhead)
samāmananti
—
they say
divaukasām
—
of the denizens of the upper planetary systems
yaḥ
—
who
balam
—
the strength
andhaḥ
—
the food grains
āyuḥ
—
the duration of life
īśaḥ
—
the Supreme Lord
nagānām
—
of the trees
prajanaḥ
—
the source of breeding
prajānām
—
of all living entities
prasīdatām
—
may He be pleased
naḥ
—
upon us
saḥ
—
that Supreme Personality of Godhead
mahā-vibhūtiḥ
—
the source of all opulences.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
somaṁ mano yasya samāmananti
somam
the moon
manaḥ
the mind
yasya
of whom (of the Supreme Personality of Godhead)
samāmananti
they say
divaukasāṁ yo balam andha āyuḥ
divaukasām
of the denizens of the upper planetary systems
yaḥ
who
balam
the strength
andhaḥ
the food grains
āyuḥ
the duration of life
īśo nagānāṁ prajanaḥ prajānāṁ
īśaḥ
the Supreme Lord
nagānām
of the trees
prajanaḥ
the source of breeding
prajānām
of all living entities
prasīdatāṁ naḥ sa mahā-vibhūtiḥ
prasīdatām
may He be pleased
naḥ
upon us
saḥ
that Supreme Personality of Godhead
mahā-vibhūtiḥ
the source of all opulences.
Soma, the moon, is the source of food grains, strength and longevity for all the demigods. He is also the master of all vegetation and the source of generation for all living entities. As stated by learned scholars, the moon is the mind of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. May that Supreme Personality of Godhead, the source of all opulences, be pleased with us.
Purport
Soma, the predominating deity of the moon, is the source of food grains and therefore the source of strength even for the celestial beings, the demigods. He is the vital force for all vegetation. Unfortunately, modern so-called scientists, who do not fully understand the moon, describe the moon as being full of deserts. Since the moon is the source for our vegetation, how can the moon be a desert? The moonshine is the vital force for all vegetation, and therefore we cannot possibly accept that the moon is a desert.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
May the Lord, possessing great vibhūtis, whom the wise say is the moon which is the food, strength and life of the devatās, the controller of trees, and the means of reproducing for the offspring, be pleases with us!
The moon is the food of the devatās, and also their strength and life. The moon is the lord of the trees (nagānām). It also causes generation (prajanaḥ) for the living entities.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Soma the moon governs grains, vegetation, strength, and longevity, and is described as the Lord's mind. Even our food's growth depends on cosmic intelligences. The 'natural' world is a layered service organization headed by the Lord.
Reflection Questions
- Do I think of the food on my plate as the work of cosmic agencies or merely of farmers?
- How does this change the tone of my mealtime prayers?
My note
Source: vedabase.io