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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 29: Bhakti-yoga
11.29.311.29.5

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.29.4

Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protection
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Uddhavasince 11.29.1inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

किं चित्रमच्युत तवैतदशेषबन्धोदासेष्वनन्यशरणेषु यदात्मसात्त्वम् ।

योऽरोचयत् सह मृगै: स्वयमीश्वराणांश्रीमत्किरीटतटपीडितपादपीठ: ॥ ४ ॥

kiṁ citram acyuta tavaitad aśeṣa-bandho

dāseṣv ananya-śaraṇesu yad ātma-sāttvam

yo ’rocayat saha mṛgaiḥ svayam īśvarāṇāṁ

śrīmat-kirīṭa-taṭa-pīḍita-pāda-pīṭhaḥ

Translation

My dear infallible Lord, it is not very astonishing that You intimately approach Your servants who have taken exclusive shelter of You. After all, during Your appearance as Lord Rāmacandra, even while great demigods like Brahmā were vying to place the effulgent tips of their helmets upon the cushion where Your lotus feet rested, You displayed special affection for monkeys such as Hanumān because they had taken exclusive shelter of You.

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.

The Lord Cherishes His Sheltered Devotees

  1. 1

    The Lord’s devotees become completely successful by His causeless mercy. He sometimes even accepts a position of subservience to His great devotees.

  2. 2

    Although great demigods sought to honor Lord Rāmacandra, He awarded intimate friendship to monkeys headed by Hanumān, who had taken exclusive shelter of Him.

  3. 3

    Those who have developed a taste for direct loving service do not need elaborate systems of philosophical speculation or methods for achieving mystic powers.

Key points from the purport
  • The devotees of the Lord become completely successful by the Lord’s causeless mercy.
  • Although demigods like Lord Brahmā were standing in line to touch their helmets to the Lord’s foot cushion, still Lord Rāmacandra awarded His most intimate friendship to subhumans, such as the monkeys headed by Hanumān.
  • All these devotees are represented here by Śrī Uddhava, who frankly informs the Lord that the sophisticated systems of philosophical speculation and mystic yoga are not appealing for one who has developed a taste for direct loving service to the Lord.

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 29: Bhakti-yoga

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The fruitive workers and mystic yogīs, who are bewildered by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and puffed up by their false identifications, refuse to take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. But the swanlike men, those who know how to discriminate between the essential and nonessential, always take shelter at the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.29
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kimwhat
  2. citramwonder
  3. acyutaO infallible Lord
  4. tavaYour
  5. etatthis
  6. aśeṣa-bandhoO friend of all
  7. dāseṣufor the servants
  8. ananya-śaraṇeṣuwho have taken no other shelter
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Poṣaṇa · Protection by the Lord

    How does the Lord care for His devotees? · Subject 4 of 10

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 11.29

    In this verse: “shelter”

  • Kṛpā · Divine mercy

    Grace received beyond material calculations. · Theme in SB 11.29

    In this verse: “mercy”, “causeless”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 11.29

    In this verse: “devotees”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What attracts you more: spiritual accomplishments or direct loving service to the Lord?

Practice

Spend a quiet minute offering the Lord your desire to serve Him lovingly and take shelter of Him.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 11.29's connections

Live this todayThe Lord Cherishes His Sheltered DevoteesThis 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 11.29.4? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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