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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.
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Canto 10 · Chapter 84: The Sages’ Teachings at Kurukṣetra
10.84.1910.84.21

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.84.20

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The great sagessince 10.84.16inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तस्माद् ब्रह्मकुलं ब्रह्मन् शास्‍त्रयोनेस्त्वमात्मन: ।

सभाजयसि सद्धाम तद् ब्रह्मण्याग्रणीर्भवान् ॥ २० ॥

tasmād brahma-kulaṁ brahman

śāstra-yones tvam ātmanaḥ

sabhājayasi sad dhāma

tad brahmaṇyāgraṇīr bhavān

Translation

Therefore, O Supreme Brahman, You honor the members of the brahminical community, for they are the perfect agents by which one can realize You through the evidence of the Vedas. For that very reason You are the foremost worshiper of the brāhmaṇas.

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 Honors Teachers of Vedic Truth

  1. 1

    The sages address the Lord as Supreme Brahman. He can be realized through the evidence of the Vedas.

  2. 2

    He honors the brahminical community because its members are perfect agents for helping others realize Him through that evidence.

  3. 3

    For this reason, the Lord is the foremost worshiper of the brāhmaṇas. His respect highlights their role in revealing Him.

How it feels

Humility and separation → Friendship and reunion. The sweetness of relationship outweighs prestige.

Chapters 80–86 of Canto 10: Sudāmā and reunion with the residents of Vraja. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 84: The Sages’ Teachings at Kurukṣetra

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The sages continued to glorify the Lord as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul, and the friend and worshiper of the brāhmaṇas. After the sages had praised Him, Lord Kṛṣṇa offered them His obeisances, and they begged His permission to return to their hermitages.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.84
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tasmāttherefore
  2. brahmaof brāhmaṇas
  3. kulamto the community
  4. brahmanO Absolute Truth
  5. śāstrathe revealed scriptures
  6. yoneḥwhose means of realization
  7. tvamYou
  8. ātmanaḥof Yourself
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 10.84

    In this verse: “worshiper”

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

Do I value spiritual teachers for how they help me understand the Lord through the Vedas?

Practice

Offer a word of gratitude to someone who has helped you understand the Lord through Vedic teaching.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Lord Honors Teachers of Vedic TruthThis 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 10.84.20? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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