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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
11.16.2011.16.22

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.16.21

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 11.16.6inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

धिष्ण्यानामस्म्यहं मेरुर्गहनानां हिमालय: ।

वनस्पतीनामश्वत्थ ओषधीनामहं यव: ॥ २१ ॥

dhiṣṇyānām asmy ahaṁ merur

gahanānāṁ himālayaḥ

vanaspatīnām aśvattha

oṣadhīnām ahaṁ yavaḥ

Translation

Among residences I am Mount Sumeru, and of impervious places I am the Himālayas. Among trees I am the holy fig tree, and among plants I am those that bear grains.

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.

Recognizing Kṛṣṇa in Life-Sustaining Grains

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa identifies Mount Sumeru among residences, the Himālayas among impervious places, and the holy fig tree among trees as His representations.

  2. 2

    Among plants that bear fruit once and then die, grain-bearing plants represent Kṛṣṇa. Their grains sustain human life.

  3. 3

    Grains are necessary for producing milk products and for properly performing Vedic fire sacrifices.

Key points from the purport
  • Oṣadhīnām here indicates those plants that fructify once and then die.
  • Among them, those that give grains, which sustain human life, represent Kṛṣṇa.
  • Without grains it is not possible to produce milk products, nor can one properly perform Vedic fire sacrifices without offerings of grains.

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. dhiṣṇyānāmresidences
  2. asmiam
  3. ahamI
  4. meruḥMount Sumeru
  5. gahanānāmof impervious places
  6. himālayaḥthe Himālayas
  7. vanaspatīnāmamong trees
  8. aśvatthaḥbanyan tree
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

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 can recognizing grains as a representation of Kṛṣṇa deepen my gratitude for food?

Practice

When you eat grains today, pause to remember Kṛṣṇa and their role in sustaining life.

Live this todayRecognizing Kṛṣṇa in Life-Sustaining GrainsThis 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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