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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
10.49.1910.49.21

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.49.20

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Akrūrasince 10.49.17inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

नेह चात्यन्तसंवास: कस्यचित् केनचित् सह ।

राजन् स्वेनापि देहेन किमु जायात्मजादिभि: ॥ २० ॥

neha cātyanta-saṁvāsaḥ

kasyacit kenacit saha

rājan svenāpi dehena

kim u jāyātmajādibhiḥ

Translation

In this world no one has any permanent relationship with anyone else, O King. We cannot stay forever even with our own body, what to speak of our wife, children and the rest.

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.

Worldly Relationships Are Not Permanent

  1. 1

    No one in this world has a permanent relationship with anyone else. Our association here cannot last forever.

  2. 2

    We cannot remain forever even with our own body. Its closeness to us does not make it permanent.

  3. 3

    Association with wife, children and other relatives is also temporary. Akrūra asks the King to recognize this limit of worldly relationships.

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:

Akrūra told the King, “You have assumed the royal throne after the death of Pāṇḍu. Seeing all equally, which is the religious duty of kings, you should protect all your subjects and personal relations.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.49
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nanot
  2. ihain this world
  3. caand
  4. atyantaperpetual
  5. saṁvāsaḥassociation (dwelling together)
  6. kasyacitof anyone
  7. kenacit sahawith anyone
  8. rājanO King
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.49

    In this verse: “king”

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 10.49

    In this verse: “children”

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 remembering impermanence change the way I view my family attachments?

Practice

Spend a minute reflecting that neither your body nor your family relationships will remain with you forever.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayWorldly Relationships Are Not PermanentThis 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 10.49.20? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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