Devahūti's Prayers to Lord Kapila
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.33.2–8 — Devahūti's prayers to her son, Lord Kapila
Devahūti said: Brahmā is said to be unborn because he takes birth from the lotus flower which grows from Your abdomen while You lie in the ocean at the bottom of the universe. But even Brahmā simply meditated upon You, whose body is the source of unlimited universes.
My dear Lord, although personally You have nothing to do, You have distributed Your energies in the interactions of the material modes of nature, and for that reason the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmic manifestation take place. My dear Lord, You are self-determined and are the Supreme Personality of Godhead for all living entities. For them You created this material manifestation, and although You are one, Your diverse energies can act multifariously. This is inconceivable to us.
As the Supreme Personality of Godhead, You have taken birth from my abdomen. O my Lord, how is that possible for the supreme one, who has in His belly all the cosmic manifestation? The answer is that it is possible, for at the end of the millennium You lie down on a leaf of a banyan tree, and just like a small baby, You lick the toe of Your lotus foot.
My dear Lord, You have assumed this body in order to diminish the sinful activities of the fallen and to enrich their knowledge in devotion and liberation. Since these sinful people are dependent on Your direction, by Your own will You assume incarnations as a boar and as other forms. Similarly, You have appeared in order to distribute transcendental knowledge to Your dependents.
To say nothing of the spiritual advancement of persons who see the Supreme Person face to face, even a person born in a family of dog-eaters immediately becomes eligible to perform Vedic sacrifices if he once utters the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or chants about Him, hears about His pastimes, offers Him obeisances or even remembers Him.
Oh, how glorious are they whose tongues are chanting Your holy name! Even if born in the families of dog-eaters, such persons are worshipable. Persons who chant the holy name of Your Lordship must have executed all kinds of austerities and fire sacrifices and achieved all the good manners of the Āryans. To be chanting the holy name of Your Lordship, they must have bathed at holy places of pilgrimage, studied the Vedas and fulfilled everything required.
I believe, my Lord, that You are Lord Viṣṇu Himself under the name of Kapila, and You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Brahman! The saints and sages, being freed from all the disturbances of the senses and mind, meditate upon You, for by Your mercy only can one become free from the clutches of the three modes of material nature. At the time of dissolution, all the Vedas are sustained in You only.
About Devahūti's Prayers to Lord Kapila
Devahūti offers these seven verses to her own son after hearing His teaching on sāṅkhya and devotion. She marvels that the Lord who keeps the whole universe within His abdomen, and lies as a baby on a banyan leaf at the end of the millennium, could be carried in hers. Verse 7, aho bata śva-paco 'to garīyān, is quoted widely in Gauḍīya writing: even one born among dog-eaters is worshipable if the Lord's holy name is on his tongue.
- Composer
- Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa
- Songbook
- Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Prayers
- Mood
- Verses
- 7
Frequently asked
Who wrote Devahūti's Prayers to Lord Kapila?
Devahūti's Prayers to Lord Kapila was composed by Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa. It appears in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Prayers.
What is the meaning of Devahūti's Prayers to Lord Kapila?
Devahūti said: Brahmā is said to be unborn because he takes birth from the lotus flower which grows from Your abdomen while You lie in the ocean at the bottom of the universe. But even Brahmā simply meditated upon You, whose body is the source of unlimited universes.
How many verses does Devahūti's Prayers to Lord Kapila have?
Devahūti's Prayers to Lord Kapila has 7 verses.
Can I download Devahūti's Prayers to Lord Kapila as a PPT or PDF?
Yes. A ready-to-display slide deck for Devahūti's Prayers to Lord Kapila — verse and translation on each slide — is available to download in both PowerPoint (.pptx) and PDF formats from this page, for use in kirtan or temple programs.