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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 49: Akrūra’s Mission in Hastināpura
10.49.1210.49.14

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.49.13

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Queen Kuntīsince 10.49.8inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

नम: कृष्णाय शुद्धाय ब्रह्मणे परमात्मने ।

योगेश्वराय योगाय त्वामहं शरणं गता ॥ १३ ॥

namaḥ kṛṣṇāya śuddhāya

brahmaṇe paramātmane

yogeśvarāya yogāya

tvām ahaṁ śaraṇaṁ gatā

Translation

I offer my obeisances unto You, Kṛṣṇa, the supreme pure, the Absolute Truth and the Supersoul, the Lord of pure devotional service and the source of all knowledge. I have come to You for shelter.

Read the purport on Vedabase.io

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.

Devotion Connects Us with Kṛṣṇa

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa is the supreme pure, the Absolute Truth and the Supersoul. The prayer offers Him obeisances and seeks His shelter.

  2. 2

    As conscious souls, we connect with the Supreme Soul through bhakti, or devotion. Through this relationship we experience perfect knowledge of Him.

  3. 3

    Lord Kṛṣṇa establishes our connection with Him by His spiritual potency. This connection through pure devotional service is the source of all spiritual knowledge.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī has translated the word yogāya as “unto Kṛṣṇa, the source of knowledge.”
  • Since the Supreme Soul is the Absolute Truth, perfect knowledge of Him means perfect knowledge of everything.
  • Thus Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, by His spiritual potency, establishes our connection with Him, and that connection is the source of all spiritual knowledge.

The purport's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

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 49: Akrūra’s Mission in Hastināpura

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Then Kuntīdevī began to chant Lord Kṛṣṇa’s names for her protection, and she also chanted mantras expressing surrender to Him. Akrūra assured Kuntīdevī, “Since your sons were born from demigods like Dharma and Vāyu, there is no reason to expect that any misfortune will befall them; rather, you should be confident that very soon they will receive the greatest possible good fortune.”
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.49
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. namaḥobeisances
  2. kṛṣṇāyato Kṛṣṇa
  3. śuddhāyathe pure
  4. brahmaṇethe Absolute Truth
  5. parama-ātmanethe Supersoul
  6. yogaof pure devotional service
  7. īśvarāyathe controller
  8. yogāyathe source of all knowledge
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

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 10.49

    In this verse: “knowledge”, “absolute truth”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 10.49

    In this verse: “devotional service”, “bhakti”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.49

    In this verse: “shelter”

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 can I approach Kṛṣṇa for shelter through devotion?

Practice

Offer Kṛṣṇa a brief prayer of obeisance, asking for shelter and a deeper connection through devotional service.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDevotion Connects Us with KṛṣṇaThis 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 10.49.13? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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