Canto 5, Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Verse 23 (SB 5.20.23)

SB 5.20.22

SB 5.20.24

SB 5.20.23 • मूल श्लोक

आप: पुरुषवीर्या: स्थ पुनन्तीर्भूर्भुव:सुव: । ता न: पुनीतामीवघ्नी: स्पृशतामात्मना भुव इति ॥ २३ ॥

Transliteration

āpaḥ puruṣa-vīryāḥ stha punantīr bhūr-bhuvaḥ-suvaḥ tā naḥ punītāmīva-ghnīḥ spṛśatām ātmanā bhuva iti

Synonyms (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.

Translation

“[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.”

Bhaktivedanta Purport

By Śrīla Prabhupāda

Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (7.4): bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥkhaṁ mano buddhir eva caahaṅkāra itīyaṁ mebhinnā 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.