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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 27: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Instructions on the Process of Deity Worship
11.27.511.27.7

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.27.6

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 11.27.6inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

श्रीभगवानुवाच

न ह्यन्तोऽनन्तपारस्य कर्मकाण्डस्य चोद्धव ।

सङ्‌क्षिप्तं वर्णयिष्यामि यथावदनुपूर्वश: ॥ ६ ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

na hy anto ’nanta-pārasya

karma-kāṇḍasya coddhava

saṅkṣiptaṁ varṇayiṣyāmi

yathāvad anupūrvaśaḥ

Translation

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, there is no end to the innumerable Vedic prescriptions for executing Deity worship; so I shall explain this topic to you briefly, one step at a time.

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.

Learn Worship From the Supreme Lord

  1. 1

    The Vedic methods of worship are innumerable and culminate in Deity worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  2. 2

    Different concepts of piety and purification cannot ultimately be reconciled without accepting the Personality of Godhead as the Absolute Truth. Without appreciating Him, human duty cannot be definitively understood.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, offers to summarize Deity worship briefly and in proper order. His explanation shows how one should worship Him.

Key points from the purport
  • Here the word karma-kāṇḍa refers to the various Vedic methods of worship, culminating in Deity worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
  • The various concepts of piety and methods of purification in the material world ultimately cannot be reconciled amongst themselves without accepting the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, since without appreciation of Him there is no definitive understanding of what is actually obligatory for a human being.
  • Even though almost all human beings are engaged in various processes of worship, the Lord will now summarize this topic, describing how one should worship Him in His Deity form.

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 27: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Instructions on the Process of Deity Worship

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

In this chapter the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains the process of kriyā-yoga, or Deity worship. Worshiping the Deity form of the Supreme Lord automatically brings purity and satisfaction to the mind.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.27
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-bhagavān uvācathe Supreme Personality of Godhead said
  2. nathere is not
  3. hiindeed
  4. antaḥany end
  5. ananta-pārasyaof the boundless
  6. karma-kāṇḍasyaVedic prescriptions for the execution of worship
  7. caand
  8. uddhavaO Uddhava
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 11.27

    In this verse: “worship”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 11.27

    In this verse: “absolute truth”

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 11.27

    In this verse: “duty”

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 might placing the Supreme Lord at the center clarify my understanding of spiritual duty?

Practice

Reread the Lord’s promise to explain worship step by step, and approach your study one teaching at a time.

Live this todayLearn Worship From the Supreme LordThis 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 11.27.6? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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