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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 46: Uddhava Visits Vṛndāvana
10.46.3710.46.39

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.46.38

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Uddhavasince 10.46.30inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

न माता न पिता तस्य न भार्या न सुतादय: ।

नात्मीयो न परश्चापि न देहो जन्म एव च ॥ ३८ ॥

na mātā na pitā tasya

na bhāryā na sutādayaḥ

nātmīyo na paraś cāpi

na deho janma eva ca

Translation

He has no mother, no father, no wife, children or other relatives. No one is related to Him, and yet no one is a stranger to Him. He has no material body and no birth.

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.

No One Is a Stranger to Him

  1. 1

    The Lord has no mother, father, wife, children or other relatives.

  2. 2

    No one is related to Him, yet no one is a stranger to Him.

  3. 3

    He has no material body and no birth.

How it feels

Heartache → Unbroken remembrance. Love endures and deepens despite visible absence.

Chapters 46–49 of Canto 10: Uddhava, the gopīs and the Song of the Bee. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 46: Uddhava Visits Vṛndāvana

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Free from egoism and possessiveness, They have no father, mother, wife or children, are never subject to birth, and have no material body. Only to enjoy spiritual happiness and deliver Their saintly devotees do They appear by Their own sweet will among various species of life, both high and low.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.46
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nathere is no
  2. mātāmother
  3. nano
  4. pitāfather
  5. tasyafor Him
  6. nano
  7. bhāryāwife
  8. nano
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

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 10.46

    In this verse: “mother”, “father”, “children”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.46

    In this verse: “material”

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

What does this verse invite you to reconsider about the Lord’s body and relationships?

Practice

Read the verse slowly, pausing over the words “no one is a stranger to Him.”

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayNo One Is a Stranger to HimThis 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 10.46.38? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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