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 85: Lord Kṛṣṇa Instructs Vasudeva and Retrieves Devakī’s Sons
10.85.3810.85.40

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.85.39

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:King Balisince 10.85.39inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

बलिरुवाच

नमोऽनन्ताय बृहते नम: कृष्णाय वेधसे ।

साङ्ख्ययोगवितानाय ब्रह्मणे परमात्मने ॥ ३९ ॥

balir uvāca

namo ’nantāya bṛhate

namaḥ kṛṣṇāya vedhase

sāṅkhya-yoga-vitānāya

brahmaṇe paramātmane

Translation

King Bali said: Obeisances to the unlimited Lord, Ananta, the greatest of all beings. And obeisances to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the creator of the universe, who appears as the impersonal Absolute and the Supersoul in order to disseminate the principles of sāṅkhya and yoga.

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.

Honoring the Supreme Lords

  1. 1

    Bali offers obeisances to Ananta, the unlimited Lord and greatest of all beings. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī identifies this Ananta as Lord Balarāma, from whom Ananta Śeṣa expands.

  2. 2

    Bali also offers obeisances to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the creator of the universe, who appears as the impersonal Absolute and the Supersoul.

  3. 3

    Impersonal Brahman is the source of the sāṅkhya philosophers’ texts. Paramātmā, the personal representation of the Lord, disseminates the textbooks of yoga.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī identifies the supreme Ananta named here as Lord Balarāma, from whom expands the divine serpent Ananta Śeṣa.
  • Impersonal Brahman is the source of the texts belonging to the sāṅkhya philosophers, while the personal representation of the Lord known as Paramātmā disseminates the textbooks of yoga.

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:

King Bali greeted Them respectfully, offering Them seats of honor, worshiping Them and reciting prayers. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma then requested Bali to return Devakī’s dead sons.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.85
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. baliḥ uvācaBali said
  2. namaḥobeisances
  3. anantāyato Ananta, the unlimited Lord
  4. bṛhatethe greatest being
  5. namaḥobeisances
  6. kṛṣṇāyato Kṛṣṇa
  7. vedhasethe creator
  8. sāṅkhyaof sāṅkhya analysis
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

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 10.85

    In this verse: “principles”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.85

    In this verse: “king”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 10.85

    In this verse: “philosophers’”

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 Bali’s prayer deepen my respect for Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma?

Practice

Offer obeisances to Lord Balarāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa, remembering the qualities praised in this prayer.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayHonoring the Supreme LordsThis 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 10.85.39? 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