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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 3: Liberation from the Illusory Energy
11.3.2611.3.29

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 11.3.27-28

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

श्रवणं कीर्तनं ध्यानं हरेरद्भ‍ुतकर्मण: ।

जन्मकर्मगुणानां च तदर्थेऽखिलचेष्टितम् ॥ २७ ॥

इष्टं दत्तं तपो जप्तं वृत्तं यच्चात्मन: प्रियम् ।

दारान् सुतान् गृहान् प्राणान् यत्परस्मै निवेदनम् ॥ २८ ॥

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ dhyānaṁ

harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ

janma-karma-guṇānāṁ ca

tad-arthe ’khila-ceṣṭitam

iṣṭaṁ dattaṁ tapo japtaṁ

vṛttaṁ yac cātmanaḥ priyam

dārān sutān gṛhān prāṇān

yat parasmai nivedanam

Translation

One should hear, glorify and meditate upon the wonderful transcendental activities of the Lord. One should specifically become absorbed in the appearance, activities, qualities and holy names of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus inspired, one should perform all of one’s daily activities as an offering to the Lord. One should perform sacrifice, charity and penance exclusively for the Lord’s satisfaction. Similarly, one should chant only those mantras which glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And all one’s religious activities should be performed as an offering to the Lord. Whatever one finds pleasing or enjoyable he should immediately offer to the Supreme Lord, and even his wife, children, home and very life air he should offer at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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.

Make Your Whole Life an Offering

  1. 1

    Hear, glorify and meditate on the appearance, activities, qualities and holy names of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mold your life so that you do not forget Him in any circumstance.

  2. 2

    Work, worship, charity, austerity and chanting should all be offerings for the Lord’s satisfaction. Your education, wealth, skills and even your body ultimately belong to Him and should be used in His devotional service.

  3. 3

    Offer your home and family to the Lord by helping family members understand that they are His eternal servants. When the whole family becomes dedicated to His service, a very beautiful situation is created.

Key points from the purport
  • According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī these two verses indicate that all such material opulences accumulated by one’s previous karma should be used as an offering to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
  • Therefore, one should be blessed by dovetailing one’s so-called opulences in the devotional service of the Lord.
  • Then all of one’s desires, all the charity he gives, and his penances and chanting of mantras — in other words, his entire personality, his home, his children, his wife and his very life air — become heartfelt offerings to the Supreme 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.

Connected verses· 2

The purport of SB 11.3.27-28 quotesBG 9.27

In Bhagavad-gītā (9.27) Lord Kṛṣṇa has ordered: “O son of Kuntī, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, and all austerities that you perform should be done as an offering unto Me.”

Quoted in the purport ofSB 6.3.24

“One should always chant and hear about the extraordinarily wonderful activities of the Lord, one should meditate upon these activities, and one should endeavor to please the Lord.”

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:

Whatever one finds pleasing or enjoyable he should immediately offer to the Supreme Lord; even his wife, children, home and very life air should all be offered at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should serve others and also accept instructions from others.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.3
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śravaṇamhearing
  2. kīrtanamchanting
  3. dhyānamand meditation
  4. hareḥof the Supreme Lord, Hari
  5. adbhuta-karmaṇaḥwhose activities are wonderful
  6. janmaof His incarnations
  7. karmapastimes
  8. guṇānāmtranscendental qualities
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

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 11.3

    In this verse: “chant”, “glorify”, “chanting”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

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

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 11.3

    In this verse: “religious”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Which skill or possession could I offer in the Lord’s service instead of using only for myself?

Practice

Spend a few minutes today chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra as an offering to the Lord.

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.

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

Live this todayMake Your Whole Life an OfferingThis 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 11.3.27-28? Get an answer from the verses themselves.