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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 17: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Description of the Varṇāśrama System
11.17.3711.17.39

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.17.38

Manvantara· The Manus and right duty
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 11.17.9inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

गृहं वनं वोपविशेत् प्रव्रजेद् वा द्विजोत्तम: ।

आश्रमादाश्रमं गच्छेन्नान्यथामत्परश्चरेत् ॥ ३८ ॥

gṛhaṁ vanaṁ vopaviśet

pravrajed vā dvijottamaḥ

āśramād āśramaṁ gacchen

nānyathāmat-paraś caret

Translation

A brahmacārī desiring to fulfill his material desires should live at home with his family, and a householder who is eager to purify his consciousness should enter the forest, whereas a purified brāhmaṇa should accept the renounced order of life. One who is not surrendered to Me should move progressively from one āśrama to another, never acting otherwise.

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.

Progress Through Life Toward Surrender

  1. 1

    Those not surrendered to the Lord must observe the regulations of their authorized āśrama. Progress should be forward, without abandoning an authorized position or falling back from a higher one.

  2. 2

    Household life regulates material desires, while forest life helps accelerate purification. A purified brāhmaṇa may accept the renounced order of life.

  3. 3

    A pure devotee constantly engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s mission is transcendental to these divisions. Claiming such freedom while pursuing illicit activities reveals that one is not an advanced devotee.

Key points from the purport
  • Those who are not surrendered devotees of the Lord must rigidly observe the regulations governing one’s authorized social status.
  • An advanced devotee, who remains aloof from material sense gratification, is not bound by the Vedic social divisions; thus even a householder may live very austerely, traveling and preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness away from home, and even a sannyāsī may sometimes engage women in the devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
  • One who falls down to become a victim of sense gratification is not fully established on the platform of mat-para and should rigidly observe the social divisions and regulations to remain steady on the platform of pious human life.

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 17: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Description of the Varṇāśrama System

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

After studying all the different aspects of the Vedas, a brāhmaṇa who has material desires may take permission from his spiritual master and enter family life. Otherwise, if he has no material desire, he may become a vānaprastha or sannyāsī.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.17
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. gṛhamthe family home
  2. vanamthe forest
  3. vāeither
  4. upaviśetone should enter
  5. pravrajetone should renounce
  6. vāor
  7. dvija-uttamaḥa brāhmaṇa
  8. āśramātfrom one authorized status of life
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Manvantara · The change of Manus

    What gives human life its right direction? · Subject 6 of 10

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 11.17

    In this verse: “householder”, “material”, “household”

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 11.17

    In this verse: “purify”, “purification”

  • Vairāgya · Freedom from attachment

    Release from possessiveness and false identities. · Theme in SB 11.17

    In this verse: “renounced”

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

Am I using spiritual ideas to deepen surrender or to excuse sense gratification?

Practice

Identify one responsibility of your present stage of life and fulfill it carefully today, remembering Kṛṣṇa.

Live this todayProgress Through Life Toward SurrenderThis 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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