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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 85: Lord Kṛṣṇa Instructs Vasudeva and Retrieves Devakī’s Sons
10.85.1810.85.20

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.85.19

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Vasudevasince 10.85.3inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तत्ते गतोऽस्म्यरणमद्य पदारविन्द-

मापन्नसंसृतिभयापहमार्तबन्धो ।

एतावतालमलमिन्द्रियलालसेन

मर्त्यात्मद‍ृक् त्वयि परे यदपत्यबुद्धि: ॥ १९ ॥

tat te gato ’smy araṇam adya padāravindam

āpanna-saṁsṛti-bhayāpaham ārta-bandho

etāvatālam alam indriya-lālasena

martyātma-dṛk tvayi pare yad apatya-buddhiḥ

Translation

Therefore, O friend of the distressed, I now approach Your lotus feet for shelter — the same lotus feet that dispel all fear of worldly existence for those who have surrendered to them. Enough! Enough with hankering for sense enjoyment, which makes me identify with this mortal body and think of You, the Supreme, as my child.

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.

Seek Shelter and Pure Love Alone

  1. 1

    Vasudeva approaches the Lord's lotus feet for shelter. Those feet remove the fear of worldly existence for surrendered souls.

  2. 2

    He rejects hankering for sense enjoyment, which fosters identification with the mortal body and his view of the Supreme as his child.

  3. 3

    Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī suggests that Vasudeva condemns the thought of gaining special opulences as the Supreme Lord's father. He contrasts himself with Nanda, who was satisfied with pure love of God and nothing else.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī suggests that Vasudeva condemns himself here for thinking of trying to gain special opulences because he is the father of the Supreme Lord.
  • Thus Vasudeva contrasts himself with Nanda, the King of Vraja, who was satisfied with pure love of God and nothing else.

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 85: Lord Kṛṣṇa Instructs Vasudeva and Retrieves Devakī’s Sons

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

After glorifying his sons, Vasudeva fell at Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet and begged Him to drive away the conception that the Lord was his son. Instead, Lord Kṛṣṇa restored that conception by instructing Vasudeva in the science of Godhead, and upon hearing these instructions, Vasudeva became peaceful and free of doubt.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.85
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tattherefore
  2. teYour
  3. gataḥcome
  4. asmiI am
  5. araṇamfor shelter
  6. adyatoday
  7. pāda-aravindamto the lotus feet
  8. āpannafor those who have surrendered
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

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 10.85

    In this verse: “child”, “nanda”, “father”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.85

    In this verse: “surrendered”, “shelter”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 10.85

    In this verse: “distressed”

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

Am I seeking the Lord's shelter for pure love, or hoping for special advantages?

Practice

Offer a short prayer for shelter at the Lord's lotus feet without asking for material benefits.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySeek Shelter and Pure Love AloneThis 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 10.85.19? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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