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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 21: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Explanation of the Vedic Path
11.21.4211.22.1-3

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.21.43

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 11.21.1inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

मां विधत्तेऽभिधत्ते मां विकल्प्यापोह्यते त्वहम् ।

एतावान् सर्ववेदार्थ: शब्द आस्थाय मां भिदाम् ।

मायामात्रमनूद्यान्ते प्रतिषिध्य प्रसीदति ॥ ४३ ॥

māṁ vidhatte ’bhidhatte māṁ

vikalpyāpohyate tv aham

etāvān sarva-vedārthaḥ

śabda āsthāya māṁ bhidām

māyā-mātram anūdyānte

pratiṣidhya prasīdati

Translation

I am the ritualistic sacrifice enjoined by the Vedas, and I am the worshipable Deity. It is I who am presented as various philosophical hypotheses, and it is I alone who am then refuted by philosophical analysis. The transcendental sound vibration thus establishes Me as the essential meaning of all Vedic knowledge. The Vedas, elaborately analyzing all material duality as nothing but My illusory potency, ultimately completely negate this duality and achieve their own satisfaction.

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.

Continue Beyond Preliminary Stages to Loving Service

  1. 1

    Lord Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate basis and purpose of all Vedic knowledge. Sacrifices, objects of worship and knowledge of His potencies are not different from Him.

  2. 2

    The Vedas initially offer material rewards to draw people into the Vedic way of life. They ultimately lead to God consciousness, where everything is understood in relation to the Supreme Lord.

  3. 3

    Fruitive rituals and speculative knowledge are to be left behind as one advances, but loving service to the Lord is never to be given up. Every living entity is the eternal servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Key points from the purport
  • Although Vedic literature entices those absorbed in material duality to begin the Vedic way of life by offering them materially desirable rewards, the Vedas eventually refute all material duality by bringing one to the stage of God consciousness, wherein there is nothing different from the Supreme Lord.
  • Within the Vedic literature there are various injunctions stating that at a particular stage of life one should give up fruitive rituals and take to the path of knowledge.
  • In this way one should continue on the Vedic path all the way back home, back to Godhead, for eternal life of bliss and knowledge.

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

Striving → Complete devotional trust. The Lord redirects Uddhava toward enduring loving service.

Chapters 21–29 of Canto 11: Spiritual practice culminating in bhakti-yoga. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 21: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Explanation of the Vedic Path

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The Vedas focus exclusively upon the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead. Because this material world is simply the illusory energy of the Supreme Lord, it is by refuting material existence that one gains disassociation from matter.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.21
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. māmMe
  2. vidhatteenjoins in sacrifice
  3. abhidhattedesignates as the object of worship
  4. māmMe
  5. vikalpyapresented as alternate hypothesis
  6. apohyateam refuted
  7. tualso
  8. ahamI
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 11.21

    In this verse: “knowledge”, “philosophical”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 11.21

    In this verse: “worshipable”, “worship”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 11.21

    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

Am I treating any temporary reward or preliminary stage as the goal, rather than loving service to Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Before one act of devotional service today, pause and remember: “I am Kṛṣṇa’s eternal servant; loving service to Him is the goal.”

Live this todayContinue Beyond Preliminary Stages to Loving ServiceThis 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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