1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

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

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990

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 41: Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma Enter Mathurā
10.41.4710.41.49

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.41.48

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Sudāmāsince 10.41.45inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तावाज्ञापयतं भृत्यं किमहं करवाणि वाम् ।

पुंसोऽत्यनुग्रहो ह्येष भवद्भ‍िर्यन्नियुज्यते ॥ ४८ ॥

tāv ajñāpayataṁ bhṛtyaṁ

kim ahaṁ karavāṇi vām

puṁso ’ty-anugraho hy eṣa

bhavadbhir yan niyujyate

Translation

Please order me, Your servant, to do whatever You wish. To be engaged by You in some service is certainly a great blessing for anyone.

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.

Service Is a Great Blessing

  1. 1

    Sudāmā approached the Lords as Their servant, ready to do whatever They wished.

  2. 2

    He asked Them to direct his service rather than putting forward his own demands.

  3. 3

    To be engaged by the Lords in service is a great blessing for anyone. Service itself is something to value.

How it feels

Anxiety and conflict → Liberation and joy. Heroic victory is complicated by separation from Vraja.

Chapters 39–45 of Canto 10: Mathurā, Kaṁsa and reunion with parents. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 41: Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma Enter Mathurā

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Next a weaver approached the two Lords and arrayed Them suitably, for which service he received from Kṛṣṇa opulence in this life and liberation in the next. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma then went to the house of the garland-maker Sudāmā.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.41
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tauThey
  2. ājñāpayatamshould please order
  3. bhṛtyamTheir servant
  4. kimwhat
  5. ahamI
  6. karavāṇishould do
  7. vāmfor You
  8. puṁsaḥfor any person
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Īśānukathā · The science of God

    Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 10.41

    In this verse: “blessing”

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

Do I see an opportunity to serve Kṛṣṇa as a blessing?

Practice

Before one act of devotional service today, pray, “Please guide me to serve as You wish.”

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayService Is a Great BlessingThis 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 10.41.48? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories