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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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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
10.46.3810.46.40

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.46.39

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Uddhavasince 10.46.30inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

न चास्य कर्म वा लोके सदसन्मिश्रयोनिषु ।

क्रीडार्थं सोऽपि साधूनां परित्राणाय कल्पते ॥ ३९ ॥

na cāsya karma vā loke

sad-asan-miśra-yoniṣu

krīḍārthaṁ so ’pi sādhūnāṁ

paritrāṇāya kalpate

Translation

He has no work to do in this world that would oblige Him to take birth in pure, impure or mixed species of life. Yet to enjoy His pastimes and deliver His saintly devotees, He manifests Himself.

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.

The Lord Appears for His Devotees

  1. 1

    The Lord has no work in this world that obliges Him to take birth.

  2. 2

    He is not compelled to enter pure, impure or mixed species of life.

  3. 3

    He manifests Himself to enjoy His pastimes and deliver His saintly devotees.

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:

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. “Lord Kṛṣṇa is not merely the son of you, O Nanda and Yaśodā, but the son of all persons, as well as their mother and father.
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 not
  2. caand
  3. asyafor Him
  4. karmawork
  5. vāor
  6. lokein this world
  7. satpure
  8. asatimpure
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 10.46

    In this verse: “devotees”

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

How does the Lord’s purpose in appearing deepen your desire to serve Him?

Practice

Offer a brief prayer of gratitude for the Lord’s care for His devotees.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord Appears for His DevoteesThis 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 10.46.39? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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