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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 11.31.22

Who is speaking and story frame

बन्धूनां नष्टगोत्राणामर्जुन: साम्परायिकम् ।

हतानां कारयामास यथावदनुपूर्वश: ॥ २२ ॥

bandhūnāṁ naṣṭa-gotrāṇām

arjunaḥ sāmparāyikam

hatānāṁ kārayām āsa

yathā-vad anupūrvaśaḥ

Translation

Arjuna then saw to it that the funeral rites were properly carried out for the dead, who had no remaining male family members. He executed the required ceremonies for each of the Yadus, one after another.

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.

Arjuna Carefully Carries Out Funeral Duties

  1. 1

    Arjuna saw that the dead had no remaining male family members to carry out their funeral rites.

  2. 2

    He made sure the funeral rites were properly performed.

  3. 3

    He carried out the required ceremonies for each of the Yadus, one after another. His care extended to each of the deceased.

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 31: The Disappearance of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Arjuna then carried out the rituals of offering piṇḍa and so on for his dead relatives. At that time the ocean swallowed up all of Dvārakā-purī except for the Lord’s own residence.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.31
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. bandhūnāmof the relatives
  2. naṣṭa-gotrāṇāmwho had no remaining immediate family members
  3. arjunaḥArjuna
  4. sāmparāyikamthe funeral rites
  5. hatānāmof the killed
  6. kārayām āsahad executed
  7. yathā-vatas prescribed in the Vedas
  8. anupūrvaśaḥin order of the seniority of the deceased
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Manvantara · The change of Manus

    What gives human life its right direction? · Subject 6 of 10

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What can you learn from Arjuna’s care for those who had no remaining family members to perform these duties?

Practice

Complete one small responsibility today for someone who has no one else available to help.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayArjuna Carefully Carries Out Funeral DutiesThis 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 11.31.22? Get an answer from the verses themselves.