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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 11 · General History · 31 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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 11.11.43-45

Who is speaking and story frame

सूर्ये तु विद्यया त्रय्या हविषाग्नौ यजेत माम् ।

आतिथ्येन तु विप्राग्र्‍ये गोष्वङ्ग यवसादिना ॥ ४३ ॥

वैष्णवे बन्धुसत्कृत्या हृदि खे ध्याननिष्ठया ।

वायौ मुख्यधिया तोये द्रव्यैस्तोयपुर:सरै: ॥ ४४ ॥

स्थण्डिले मन्त्रहृदयैर्भोगैरात्मानमात्मनि ।

क्षेत्रज्ञं सर्वभूतेषु समत्वेन यजेत माम् ॥ ४५ ॥

sūrye tu vidyayā trayyā

haviṣāgnau yajeta mām

ātithyena tu viprāgrye

goṣv aṅga yavasādinā

vaiṣṇave bandhu-sat-kṛtyā

hṛdi khe dhyāna-niṣṭhayā

vāyau mukhya-dhiyā toye

dravyais toya-puraḥsaraiḥ

sthaṇḍile mantra-hṛdayair

bhogair ātmānam ātmani

kṣetra-jñaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu

samatvena yajeta mām

Translation

My dear Uddhava, one should worship Me within the sun by chanting selected Vedic mantras and by performing worship and offering obeisances. One may worship Me within fire by offering oblations of ghee, and one may worship Me among the brāhmaṇas by respectfully receiving them as guests, even when uninvited. I can be worshiped within the cows by offerings of grass and other suitable grains and paraphernalia for the pleasure and health of the cows, and one may worship Me within the Vaiṣṇavas by offering loving friendship to them and honoring them in all respects. Through steady meditation I am worshiped within the inner space of the heart, and within the air I can be worshiped by knowledge that prāṇa, the life air, is the chief among elements. I am worshiped within water by offerings of water itself, along with other elements such as flowers and tulasī leaves, and one may worship Me within the earth by proper application of confidential seed mantras. One may worship Me within the individual living entity by offering food and other enjoyable substances, and one may worship Me within all living entities by seeing the Supersoul within all of them, thus maintaining equal vision.

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.

Worship the Lord Present Within Everything

  1. 1

    Worship should be directed to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present within all living beings. No other material or spiritual object should be accepted as supreme.

  2. 2

    By steadily remembering the Lord’s all-pervading presence, one can remain in a worshipful mood throughout the day. One naturally tries to engage all material and spiritual elements in Kṛṣṇa’s loving service.

  3. 3

    The Lord can be worshiped by caring for cows, offering loving friendship and honor to Vaiṣṇavas, and respectfully receiving brāhmaṇas. Seeing the Supersoul within all living beings supports equal vision.

Key points from the purport
  • Significantly, the Lord emphasizes in these three verses that one should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is expanded within all living beings.
  • Thus, one will naturally try to engage all material and spiritual elements in the loving service of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
  • One should remain sane and accept the worshipable presence of the Supreme Lord within everything.

The purport's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 1

Quoted in the purport ofSB 11.12.1-2

In the previous chapter Lord Kṛṣṇa stated, haviṣāgnau yajeta mām: “One may worship Me in fire by offering oblations of ghee.”

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

How it feels

Uncertainty → Clarity. The coming separation makes the instruction personally urgent.

Chapters 10–20 of Canto 11: Kṛṣṇa's teachings on self, yoga and wisdom. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 11: The Symptoms of Conditioned and Liberated Living Entities

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Among these are: (1-6) seeing, touching, worshiping, serving, glorifying and offering obeisances to the Deity of the Lord and His pure devotees; (7) developing attachment for hearing the chanting of the Lord’s qualities, pastimes, and so on; (8) remaining always in meditation upon the Lord; (9) offering everything one acquires to the Lord; (10) accepting oneself to be the Lord’s servant; (11) offering the Lord one’s heart and soul; (12) engaging in glorification of the Lord’s birth and activities; (13) observing holidays related to the Lord; (14) performing festivals in the Lord’s temple in the company of other devotees, and with music, singing and dancing; (15) celebrating all varieties of yearly functions; (16) offering foodstuffs to the Lord; (17) taking initiation according to the Vedas and tantras; (18) taking vows related to the Lord; (19) being eager to establish Deities of the Lord; (20) endeavoring either alone or in association with others in constructing, for the service of the Lord, vegetable and flower gardens, temples, cities, and so on; (21) humbly cleansing the temple of the Lord; and (22) rendering service to the Lord’s house by painting it, washing it with water and decorating it with auspicious designs.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.11
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. sūryein the sun
  2. tuindeed
  3. vidyayā trayyāby offering selected Vedic hymns of praise, worship and obeisances
  4. haviṣāwith offerings of clarified butter
  5. agnauin the fire
  6. yajetaone should worship
  7. māmMe
  8. ātithyenaby respectfully receiving them as guests even when uninvited
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 11.11

    In this verse: “worship”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 11.11

    In this verse: “knowledge”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 11.11

    In this verse: “chanting”

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 could remembering the Supersoul within others change the way I treat them?

Practice

Offer one Vaiṣṇava a sincere expression of friendship and respect today.

Live this todayWorship the Lord Present Within EverythingThis 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 11.11.43-45? Get an answer from the verses themselves.