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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 ›
Canto 11 · Chapter 16: The Lord’s Opulence
11.15.3611.16.2

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.16.1

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Uddhavasince 11.16.1inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

श्रीउद्धव उवाच

त्वं ब्रह्म परमं साक्षादनाद्यन्तमपावृतम् ।

सर्वेषामपि भावानां त्राणस्थित्यप्ययोद्भ‍व: ॥ १ ॥

śrī-uddhava uvāca

tvaṁ brahma paramaṁ sākṣād

anādy-antam apāvṛtam

sarveṣām api bhāvānāṁ

trāṇa-sthity-apyayodbhavaḥ

Translation

Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord, You are beginningless and endless, the Absolute Truth Himself, unlimited by anything else. You are the protector and life-giver, the destruction and creation of all things that exist.

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 Is the Supreme Absolute Truth

  1. 1

    Uddhava addresses Kṛṣṇa as the supreme brahma, the greatest of all and the cause of everything. As Bhagavān, He is the highest feature of the Absolute Truth.

  2. 2

    The Lord’s spiritual opulences have no beginning or end. They cannot be restricted by time or hindered by any equal or superior power.

  3. 3

    The material world also rests within the Lord, who protects, maintains, creates and destroys it. Uddhava inquires about His opulences to deepen his appreciation of Kṛṣṇa’s unique position.

Key points from the purport
  • Uddhava here addresses the Lord as the paramam, or supreme brahma, because in His feature as Bhagavān the Lord is the highest feature of the Absolute Truth and the shelter of unlimited spiritual opulences.
  • In this chapter, Śrī Uddhava inquires from the Lord about His spiritual and material opulences in order to refine his appreciation of the Lord’s position as the Absolute Truth.
  • Even Lord Viṣṇu, the ultimate creator of the material world, is an expansion of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and thus Śrī Uddhava wishes to fully appreciate the unique status of his personal friend.

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

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 16: The Lord’s Opulence

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Śrī Uddhava offered glorification to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and ultimate shelter of all holy places, saying, “The Supreme Lord has no beginning and no end. He is the cause of the birth, maintenance and destruction of all living entities.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.16
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-uddhavaḥ uvācaŚrī Uddhava said
  2. tvamYou are
  3. brahmathe greatest
  4. paramamthe supreme
  5. sākṣātHimself
  6. anādiwithout beginning
  7. antamwithout end
  8. apāvṛtamunlimited by anything else
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

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 11.16

    In this verse: “absolute truth”, “inquires”

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 11.16

    In this verse: “protector”, “protects”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 11.16

    In this verse: “material”

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 Kṛṣṇa’s greatness is unlimited deepen your appreciation of Him?

Practice

Read Uddhava’s address aloud once, pausing to appreciate Kṛṣṇa as your protector and life-giver.

Live this todayKṛṣṇa Is the Supreme Absolute TruthThis 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 11.16.1? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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