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 49: Akrūra’s Mission in Hastināpura
10.49.810.49.10

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.49.9

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Queen Kuntīsince 10.49.8inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

भ्रात्रेयो भगवान् कृष्ण: शरण्यो भक्तवत्सल: । पैतृष्वस्रेयान् स्मरति रामश्चाम्बुरुहेक्षण: ॥ ९ ॥

bhrātreyo bhagavān kṛṣṇaḥ

śaraṇyo bhakta-vatsalaḥ

paitṛ-ṣvasreyān smarati

rāmaś cāmburuhekṣaṇaḥ

Translation

Does my nephew Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality and the compassionate shelter of His devotees, still remember His aunt’s sons? And does lotus-eyed Rāma remember them also?

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.

Kṛṣṇa Is His Devotees’ Compassionate Shelter

  1. 1

    Kuntī spoke of her nephew Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  2. 2

    She described Him as the compassionate shelter of His devotees and asked whether He remembered her sons.

  3. 3

    She also asked whether lotus-eyed Rāma remembered them. Her concern for her sons was directed toward Their remembrance.

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:

With tearful eyes, Kuntīdevī asked Akrūra, “Do my parents and other relatives, headed by Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, ever think of me and my sons, and will Kṛṣṇa ever come to console us in our distress?” Then Kuntīdevī began to chant Lord Kṛṣṇa’s names for her protection, and she also chanted mantras expressing surrender to Him.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.49
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. bhrātreyaḥbrother’s son
  2. bhagavānthe Supreme Lord
  3. kṛṣṇaḥKṛṣṇa
  4. śaraṇyaḥthe giver of shelter
  5. bhaktato His devotees
  6. vatsalaḥcompassionate
  7. paitṛ-svasreyānthe sons of His father’s sister
  8. smaratiremembers
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “devotees”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 10.49

    In this verse: “compassionate”

  • 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

What does Kṛṣṇa’s compassion toward His devotees mean to me?

Practice

Spend a quiet minute remembering Kṛṣṇa as the compassionate shelter of His devotees.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Is His Devotees’ Compassionate ShelterThis 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 10.49.9? 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