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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
11.3.3311.3.35

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.3.34

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:King Nimisince 11.3.34inside 4 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → VasudevaThe nine Yogendras → King Nimi

श्रीराजोवाच

नारायणाभिधानस्य ब्रह्मण: परमात्मन: ।

निष्ठामर्हथ नो वक्तुं यूयं हि ब्रह्मवित्तमा: ॥ ३४ ॥

śrī-rājovāca

nārāyaṇābhidhānasya

brahmaṇaḥ paramātmanaḥ

niṣṭhām arhatha no vaktuṁ

yūyaṁ hi brahma-vittamāḥ

Translation

King Nimi inquired: Please explain to me the transcendental situation of the Supreme Lord, Nārāyaṇa, who is Himself the Absolute Truth and the Supersoul of everyone. You can explain this to me, because you are all most expert in transcendental knowledge.

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.

Knowing the Supreme Lord Strengthens Faith

  1. 1

    King Nimi asks those expert in transcendental knowledge to explain the Supreme Lord’s position. Although already a devotee, he seeks clarity about the highest transcendental truth.

  2. 2

    Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān are features of the one Absolute Truth. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the original feature and the source of impersonal Brahman; the Supersoul is His expansion.

  3. 3

    Those with mature transcendental knowledge surrender directly to Bhagavān, who eternally resides in His own abode. Nimi’s inquiry also concerns developing firm faith in the Supreme Lord.

Key points from the purport
  • Therefore, in this verse the King is requesting specific information about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa.
  • Therefore it is to be understood that the word nārāyaṇa in this verse refers to the Bhagavān feature of the Supreme Lord in the spiritual world.
  • King Nimi wants the sages to make clear that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original feature of the Absolute Truth, and therefore he places his question before the next of the nine Yogendras, Pippalāyana.

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· 1

The purport of SB 11.3.34 quotesSB 1.2.11

In the Bhāgavatam (1.2.11): “Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.”

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:

In answer to four questions spoken by Mahārāja Nimi, this chapter describes the nature and activities of the illusory potency ( māyā), the method of becoming free from māyā’s insurmountable grip, the transcendental situation of the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa, and the process of karma-yoga, by which one becomes free from all material activities.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.3
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-rājā uvācathe King said
  2. nārāyaṇa-abhidhānasyaof the Supreme Personality of Godhead, named Nārāyaṇa
  3. brahmaṇaḥof the Absolute Truth
  4. parama-ātmanaḥof the Supersoul
  5. niṣṭhāmthe transcendental situation
  6. arhathayou may kindly
  7. naḥto us
  8. vaktumspeak
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

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 11.3

    In this verse: “knowledge”, “inquired”, “absolute truth”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 11.3

    In this verse: “king”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “devotee”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What would I like to understand more clearly about the Supreme Lord so that my faith can deepen?

Practice

Write one sincere question about the Lord’s position to ask someone expert in transcendental knowledge.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKnowing the Supreme Lord Strengthens FaithThis 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 11.3.34? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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