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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 30: The Disappearance of the Yadu Dynasty
11.30.3411.30.36

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.30.35

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Jarāsince 11.30.35inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

अजानता कृतमिदं पापेन मधुसूदन ।

क्षन्तुमर्हसि पापस्य उत्तम:श्लोक मेऽनघ ॥ ३५ ॥

ajānatā kṛtam idaṁ

pāpena madhusūdana

kṣantum arhasi pāpasya

uttamaḥśloka me ’nagha

Translation

Jarā said: O Lord Madhusūdana, I am a most sinful person. I have committed this act out of ignorance. O purest Lord, O Uttamaḥśloka, please forgive this sinner.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

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.

Humbly Ask the Lord for Forgiveness

  1. 1

    Jarā admits that he has acted sinfully and out of ignorance. He does not hide his wrongdoing from the Lord.

  2. 2

    He addresses Madhusūdana as the purest Lord and as Uttamaḥśloka.

  3. 3

    Jarā asks the Lord to forgive him. His prayer expresses humility and regret.

How it feels

Sorrow and shock → Remembrance and acceptance. Devotees face a devastating change in visible association.

Chapters 30–31 of Canto 11: The Yadu dynasty and Kṛṣṇa disappear. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 30: The Disappearance of the Yadu Dynasty

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Then a hunter named Jarā, mistaking the sole of the Lord’s left foot for a deer, pierced it with an arrow. The hunter immediately understood his mistake and, falling at the feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, begged to be punished.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.30
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ajānatāwho was acting without knowledge
  2. kṛtamhas been done
  3. idamthis
  4. pāpenaby a sinful person
  5. madhusūdanaO Madhusūdana
  6. kṣantum arhasiplease forgive
  7. pāpasyaof the sinful person
  8. uttamaḥ-ślokaO glorious Lord
  9. memy
  10. anaghaO sinless one
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Īśānukathā · The science of God

    Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 11.30

    In this verse: “sinful”, “sinfully”

  • Dainya · Humility

    Ego yields to insight, service and surrender. · Theme in SB 11.30

    In this verse: “humility”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Can I honestly acknowledge my wrongdoing when I pray to the Lord?

Practice

Offer a brief prayer asking the Lord to forgive one wrong you sincerely regret.

5

The story around it

The stories this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayHumbly Ask the Lord for ForgivenessThis 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 11.30.35? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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