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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.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›
Canto 10 · Chapter 86: Arjuna Kidnaps Subhadrā, and Kṛṣṇa Blesses His Devotees
10.86.3010.86.32

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.86.31

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śrī Bahulāśvasince 10.86.31inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीबहुलाश्‍व उवाच

भवान् हि सर्वभूतानामात्मा साक्षी स्वद‍ृग् विभो ।

अथ नस्त्वत्पदाम्भोजं स्मरतां दर्शनं गत: ॥ ३१ ॥

śrī-bahulāśva uvāca

bhavān hi sarva-bhūtānām

ātmā sākṣī sva-dṛg vibho

atha nas tvat-padāmbhojaṁ

smaratāṁ darśanaṁ gataḥ

Translation

Śrī Bahulāśva said: O almighty Lord, You are the Soul of all created beings, their self-illumined witness, and now You are giving Your audience to us, who constantly meditate on Your lotus feet.

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.

The Lord Knows Every Devotional Desire

  1. 1

    Bahulāśva glorifies Kṛṣṇa as the inspiring Soul of all life and consciousness. By the Lord’s mercy, even someone dull can awaken to devotional awareness.

  2. 2

    The Lord witnesses all pious and impious actions. Bahulāśva trusts that He remembers whatever little devotional service he has done.

  3. 3

    The Lord is self-illumined and needs no outside source of knowledge. He has always known Bahulāśva’s long-cherished desire to see Him.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains Bahulāśva’s inner thoughts as follows: Bahulāśva glorifies Lord Kṛṣṇa as the inspiring Soul of all life and consciousness, thinking that even an inert dullard like himself could be awakened to devotional awareness by His mercy.
  • He glorifies the Lord as the witness of all pious and impious actions, confident that the Lord remembers whatever little devotional service he has ever done.
  • And he glorifies Him as self-illumined, never needing to be enlightened or informed by any external source, with the knowledge that the Lord has always been aware of Bahulāśva’s long-cherished secret desire to see Him.

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 86: Arjuna Kidnaps Subhadrā, and Kṛṣṇa Blesses His Devotees

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

King Bahulāśva was another great devotee of the Lord residing in Mithilā. A member of the dynasty in which King Janaka had appeared, Bahulāśva ruled over the whole province of Videha, yet he remained as detached from material wealth as Śrutadeva.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.86
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-bahulāśvaḥ uvācaŚrī Bahulāśva said
  2. bhavānYou
  3. hiindeed
  4. sarvaof all
  5. bhūtānāmcreated beings
  6. ātmāthe Supreme Soul
  7. sākṣīthe witness
  8. sva-dṛkself-illumined
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 10.86

    In this verse: “devotional service”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 10.86

    In this verse: “glorifies”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 10.86

    In this verse: “mercy”

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 knowing that the Lord remembers even a little service encourage me?

Practice

Spend a quiet minute remembering the Lord’s lotus feet and expressing your desire to serve Him.

Live this todayThe Lord Knows Every Devotional DesireThis 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.

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