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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 11.29.5

Who is speaking and story frame

तं त्वाखिलात्मदयितेश्वरमाश्रितानां

सर्वार्थदं स्वकृतविद् विसृजेत को नु ।

को वा भजेत् किमपि विस्मृतयेऽनु भूत्यै

किं वा भवेन्न तव पादरजोजुषां न: ॥ ५ ॥

taṁ tvākhilātma-dayiteśvaram āśritānāṁ

sarvārtha-daṁ sva-kṛta-vid visṛjeta ko nu

ko vā bhajet kim api vismṛtaye ’nu bhūtyai

kiṁ vā bhaven na tava pāda-rajo-juṣāṁ naḥ

Translation

Who, then, could dare reject You, the very Soul, the most dear object of worship, and the Supreme Lord of all — You who give all possible perfections to the devotees who take shelter of You? Who could be so ungrateful, knowing the benefits You bestow? Who would reject You and accept something for the sake of material enjoyment, which simply leads to forgetfulness of You? And what lack is there for us who are engaged in the service of the dust of Your lotus feet?

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.

Devotional Service Contains All Perfection

  1. 1

    The Supreme Lord is the most dear object of worship and gives all possible perfections to devotees who take shelter of Him.

  2. 2

    Knowing His kindness, a grateful devotee does not wish to reject Him for material enjoyment that leads to forgetfulness of Him.

  3. 3

    A Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows that all perfection of life comes simply by surrendering to Lord Kṛṣṇa’s devotional service. This is the highest stage of yoga.

Key points from the purport
  • As stated in the Nārāyaṇīya of the Mokṣa-dharma, in Śrī Mahābhārata:
  • Thus a Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows that he will obtain all perfection of life simply by surrendering to the devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
  • This is the highest stage of yoga, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā.

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. tamthat
  2. tvāYou
  3. akhilaof all
  4. ātmathe Supreme Soul
  5. dayitathe most dear
  6. īśvaramand the supreme controller
  7. āśrītānāmof those who take shelter of You
  8. sarva-arthaof all perfections
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “devotees”, “worship”, “devotional service”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

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

    In this verse: “shelter”, “surrendering”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 11.29

    In this verse: “material”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What enjoyment might draw you toward forgetfulness of the Lord rather than gratitude to Him?

Practice

Set aside one distracting pursuit today and use that time to remember the Lord’s kindness.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDevotional Service Contains All PerfectionThis 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 11.29.5? Get an answer from the verses themselves.