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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 3: Liberation from the Illusory Energy
11.3.2011.3.22

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.3.21

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śrī Prabuddhasince 11.3.18inside 4 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → VasudevaThe nine Yogendras → King Nimi

तस्माद् गुरुं प्रपद्येत जिज्ञासु: श्रेय उत्तमम् ।

शाब्दे परे च निष्णातं ब्रह्मण्युपशमाश्रयम् ॥ २१ ॥

tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta

jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam

śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ

brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam

Translation

Therefore any person who seriously desires real happiness must seek a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of the bona fide guru is that he has realized the conclusions of the scriptures by deliberation and is able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, should be understood to be bona fide spiritual masters.

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.

Seek Shelter of a Qualified Spiritual Master

  1. 1

    Anyone who seriously desires real happiness should seek a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him through initiation.

  2. 2

    A qualified guru has deep knowledge of authorized Vedic literature and practical realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He can resolve sincere doubts and has turned away from materialistic illusions.

  3. 3

    The spiritual master’s duty is to connect the disciple to Kṛṣṇa and awaken the soul to eternal devotional service. This qualification rests on knowledge of Kṛṣṇa and the Lord’s authority, not social position or personal speculation.

Key points from the purport
  • If the disciple has doubts about the value of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the bona fide spiritual master must dissipate those doubts by superior knowledge.
  • One who himself doubts the authority of Kṛṣṇa or Vedic knowledge cannot become a bona fide spiritual master.
  • And the bona fide spiritual master can transmit this sound vibration of bliss and knowledge to his disciple.

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· 5

The purport of SB 11.3.21 quotesBG 9.3

The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (9.3): “Those who are not faithful on the path of devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of foes, but return to birth and death in this material world.”

The purport of SB 11.3.21 quotesCC Madhya 7.128

In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.”

The purport of SB 11.3.21 quotesBG 9.13

On the other hand, in Bhagavad-gītā (9.13) it is said: Those who are actually great souls have surrendered to the internal potency of the Lord and can similarly connect others to the internal pleasure-giving potency.

The purport of SB 11.3.21 quotesSB 11.17.27

One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods.”

Quoted in the purport ofSB 4.29.55

The symptoms of the bona fide spiritual master are stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.3.21): “Any person who is seriously desirous of achieving real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation.

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

Foreboding → Devotional urgency. Uddhava realizes that Kṛṣṇa's visible association is nearing an end.

Chapters 1–6 of Canto 11: The Yadu curse, the nine Yogendras and farewell signs. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 3: Liberation from the Illusory Energy

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, should be understood to be bona fide spiritual masters. Accepting the bona fide spiritual master as one’s life and soul, the submissive disciple should learn from him the process of pure devotional service, which satisfies the Supreme Lord.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.3
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tasmāttherefore
  2. guruma spiritual master
  3. prapadyetaone should take shelter of
  4. jijñāsuḥbeing inquisitive
  5. śreyaḥ uttamamabout the highest good
  6. śābdein the Vedas
  7. parein the Supreme
  8. caand
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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 11.3

    In this verse: “material”, “illusions”, “materialistic”

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 11.3

    In this verse: “shelter”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 11.3

    In this verse: “devotional service”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Do I value scriptural understanding, realization and detachment more than a teacher’s worldly prestige?

Practice

Write down the qualifications of a bona fide spiritual master given here, along with one sincere question about devotional service.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.

1 lecture given on it. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

7

Connected stories

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

The purport quotesSB 11.17.27

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 11.3's connections

Live this todaySeek Shelter of a Qualified Spiritual MasterOne of the 108 chosen lessons: a practice and a question from this verse

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 11.3.21? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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