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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

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Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
  3. 3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
  4. 4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
  5. 5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
  6. 6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›
Canto 10 · Chapter 34: Nanda Mahārāja Saved and Śaṅkhacūḍa Slain
10.34.1510.34.17

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.34.16

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The serpentsince 10.34.12-13inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

प्रपन्नोऽस्मि महायोगिन् महापुरुष सत्पते ।

अनुजानीहि मां देव सर्वलोकेश्वरेश्वर ॥ १६ ॥

prapanno ’smi mahā-yogin

mahā-puruṣa sat-pate

anujānīhi māṁ deva

sarva-lokeśvareśvara

Translation

O master of mystic power, O great personality, O Lord of the devotees, I surrender to You. Please command me as You will, O supreme God, Lord of all lords of the universe.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Surrender Means Welcoming the Lord’s Command

  1. 1

    The speaker directly declares his surrender to the Lord.

  2. 2

    He addresses the Lord as the master of mystic power, the great personality and the Lord of the devotees.

  3. 3

    Recognizing Him as the supreme God and Lord of all lords, he asks to be commanded according to His will.

How it feels

Attachment → Impending loss. The approach of departure gives pastoral love a poignant edge.

Chapters 34–38 of Canto 10: Further Vraja events and Akrūra's arrival. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 34: Nanda Mahārāja Saved and Śaṅkhacūḍa Slain

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Then he offered his homage at the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and, on the Lord’s order, returned to his own abode. Later, during the Dola-pūrṇimā festival, Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva enjoyed pastimes in the forest with the young women of Vraja.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.34
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. prapannaḥsurrendered
  2. asmiI am
  3. mahā-yoginO greatest of all possessors of mystic power
  4. mahā-puruṣaO greatest of all personalities
  5. sat-pateO master of the devotees
  6. anujānīhiplease order
  7. māmme
  8. devaO God
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Āśraya · The summum bonum

    Who is the shelter of everything? · Subject 10 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 10.34

    In this verse: “devotees”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.34

    In this verse: “surrender”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Am I willing to serve the Lord rather than simply ask Him to fulfill my wishes?

Practice

Offer this brief prayer today: “My Lord, I surrender to You. Please command me as You will.”

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySurrender Means Welcoming the Lord’s CommandThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 10.34.16? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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