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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 · Text 11.18.19

Who is speaking and story frame

बहिर्जलाशयं गत्वा तत्रोपस्पृश्य वाग्यत: ।

विभज्य पावितं शेषं भुञ्जीताशेषमाहृतम् ॥ १९ ॥

bahir jalāśayaṁ gatvā

tatropaspṛśya vāg-yataḥ

vibhajya pāvitaṁ śeṣaṁ

bhuñjītāśeṣam āhṛtam

Translation

Taking the food gathered through begging, one should leave the populated areas and go to a reservoir of water in a secluded place. There, having taken a bath and washed one’s hands thoroughly, one should distribute portions of the food to others who may request it. One should do this without speaking. Then, having thoroughly cleansed the remnants, one should eat everything on one’s plate, leaving nothing for future consumption.

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.

Share Peacefully and Remember the Lord's Mercy

  1. 1

    After gathering food, the renounced saint should go to a secluded place near water, bathe and thoroughly wash his hands.

  2. 2

    He should share with those who request food rather than argue or quarrel. The remaining food should then be offered to Lord Viṣṇu.

  3. 3

    He should eat silently, meditating on the Lord's mercy, and finish what is on his plate without saving food for future consumption.

Key points from the purport
  • Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura explains that a saintly person should not argue or quarrel with materialistic persons who may request or demand part of his foodstuff.
  • The word vibhajya indicates that one should give something to such persons to avoid disturbance, and then, offering the remnants to Lord Viṣṇu, one should eat everything on one’s plate, without saving food for the future.
  • The word bahiḥ indicates that one should not eat in a public place, and vāg-yata indicates that one should eat silently, meditating upon the Lord’s mercy.

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 ofCC Madhya 3.74

According to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.18.19):

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 18: Description of Varṇāśrama-dharma

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Thus engaged, he should remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead and dwell in a place that is fearless and not heavily populated. He should take his alms each day at seven homes chosen at random from those of the members of the four social classes, avoiding only the homes of those who are cursed or fallen.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.18
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. bahiḥoutside of urban areas, in a secluded place
  2. jalaof water
  3. āśayamto a reservoir
  4. gatvāgoing
  5. tatrathere
  6. upaspṛśyabeing purified by contact with water
  7. vāk-yataḥwithout speaking
  8. vibhajyaduly distributing
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

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 11.18

    In this verse: “cleansed”

  • Vairāgya · Freedom from attachment

    Release from possessiveness and false identities. · Theme in SB 11.18

    In this verse: “renounced”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 11.18

    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

Can I respond peacefully when someone asks to share what I have?

Practice

Eat a meal quietly today, spending a moment reflecting on the Lord's mercy.

Live this todayShare Peacefully and Remember the Lord's MercyThis 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 11.18.19? Get an answer from the verses themselves.