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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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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 84: The Sages’ Teachings at Kurukṣetra
10.84.6010.84.62

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.84.61

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Vasudevasince 10.84.61inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीवसुदेव उवाच

भ्रातरीशकृत: पाशो नृणां य: स्‍नेहसंज्ञित: ।

तं दुस्त्यजमहं मन्ये शूराणामपि योगिनाम् ॥ ६१ ॥

śrī-vasudeva uvāca

bhrātar īśa-kṛtaḥ pāśo

nṛnāṁ yaḥ sneha-saṁjñitaḥ

taṁ dustyajam ahaṁ manye

śūrāṇām api yoginām

Translation

Śrī Vasudeva said: My dear brother, God Himself has tied the knot called affection, which tightly binds human beings together. It seems to me that even great heroes and mystics find it very difficult to free themselves from it.

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.

Kṛṣṇa’s Shelter Overcomes Māyā

  1. 1

    Vasudeva describes affection as a knot tied by God Himself. Even great heroes and mystics find it difficult to escape.

  2. 2

    Heroic leaders use willpower, and introspective yogīs pursue knowledge to overcome attachments. But Māyā, the Lord’s illusory energy, is stronger than any conditioned soul.

  3. 3

    Only by taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of Māyā, can one become immune to her influence.

Key points from the purport
  • Heroic leaders of men try to transcend their petty attachments by force of will, while introspective yogīs pursue knowledge for the same purpose.
  • But the Lord’s illusory energy, Māyā, is much stronger than any conditioned soul.
  • Only by taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of Māyā, can one become immune to her influence.

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

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:

Unable to depart because of his intense affection for his relatives, Nanda Mahārāja remained at Kurukṣetra for three months, served with reverence by the Yādavas. On one occasion, Vasudeva began to describe the deep friendship Nanda had shown him, shedding tears openly.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.84
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-vasudevaḥ uvācaŚrī Vasudeva said
  2. bhrātaḥO brother
  3. īśaby the Supreme Lord
  4. kṛtaḥmade
  5. pāśaḥthe noose
  6. nṛṇāmof men
  7. yaḥwhich
  8. snehaaffection
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.84

    In this verse: “attachments”, “māyā”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.84

    In this verse: “shelter”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 10.84

    In this verse: “knowledge”

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

Where am I relying only on my own strength instead of seeking Kṛṣṇa’s shelter?

Practice

Offer a brief prayer to Kṛṣṇa for shelter from one attachment that troubles you.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa’s Shelter Overcomes MāyāThis 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 10.84.61? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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