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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 5: Nārada Concludes His Teachings to Vasudeva
11.5.38-4011.5.42

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.5.41

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śrī Karabhājanasince 11.5.20inside 4 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → VasudevaThe nine Yogendras → King Nimi

देवर्षिभूताप्तनृणां पितृणां

न किङ्करो नायमृणी च राजन् ।

सर्वात्मना य: शरणं शरण्यं

गतो मुकुन्दं परिहृत्य कर्तम् ॥ ४१ ॥

devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṝṇāṁ

na kiṅkaro nāyam ṛṇī ca rājan

sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ

gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam

Translation

O King, one who has given up all material duties and has taken full shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, who offers shelter to all, is not indebted to the demigods, great sages, ordinary living beings, relatives, friends, mankind or even one’s forefathers who have passed away. Since all such classes of living entities are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, one who has surrendered to the Lord’s service has no need to serve such persons separately.

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.

Serving Kṛṣṇa Fulfills All Obligations

  1. 1

    One who has not fully surrendered to the Lord’s devotional service still has material duties to perform. We receive countless benefits from other living beings, family, society and forefathers.

  2. 2

    Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the ultimate source of every benefit. Those who help us act through His mercy, not independently of Him.

  3. 3

    Serving Kṛṣṇa is like watering a tree’s root: all its branches and leaves are nourished. One who takes full shelter of Mukunda and serves Him fulfills all these obligations without serving each recipient separately.

Key points from the purport
  • Thus it can be understood that ultimately it is by the mercy of the Supreme Lord that a man and woman are able to produce a child by the sexual act.
  • Therefore, if we carefully analyze all of our multifarious obligations toward different classes of living entities, we shall find that in each and every case it is ultimately by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead that we have received a particular benediction in life.
  • The conclusion is that one who has fully surrendered to the devotional service of the Supreme Lord is a first-class human being.

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 11.5.41 quotesSB 4.31.14

In reply to this, the Bhāgavatam (4.31.14) states, yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ.

The purport of SB 11.5.41 quotesSB 11.20.9

Therefore, it is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.20.9): “As long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened his taste for devotional service by hearing and chanting about the Supreme Lord, one has to act according to the regulative principles of the Vedic injunctions.”

Quoted in the purport ofSB 3.12.5

It is enjoined in the Bhāgavatam (11.5.41): “Anyone who has completely given up all worldly relationships and has taken absolute shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord, who gives us salvation and who alone is fit to be taken shelter of, is no longer a debtor or servant of anyone, including the demigods, forefathers, sages, other living entities, relatives,…

Quoted in the purport ofSB 4.24.38

gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam. One becomes free from all obligations to the demigods, saintly persons, pitās, ancient forefathers, etc., if one is completely engaged in the devotional service of the Lord.

Quoted in the purport ofSB 6.5.37

As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.41): Everyone is indebted to the demigods, to living entities in general, to his family, to the pitās and so on, but if one fully surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, Mukunda, who can give one liberation, even if one performs no yajñas, one is freed from all debts.

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 5: Nārada Concludes His Teachings to Vasudeva

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Persons who give up all false ego and take full shelter of Lord Hari are no longer debtors to the demigods or anyone else. The Personality of Godhead, Śrī Hari, appears in the hearts of devotees who know no other shelter than Him and causelessly drives away all evil desires from the devotees’ hearts.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.5
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. devaof the demigods
  2. ṛṣiof the sages
  3. bhūtaof ordinary living entities
  4. āptaof friends and relatives
  5. nṛṇāmof ordinary men
  6. pitṝṇāmof the forefathers
  7. nanot
  8. kiṅkaraḥthe servant
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

  • Śaraṇāgati · Wholehearted surrender

    Relinquishing ownership while entrusting oneself to the Lord. · Theme in SB 11.5

    In this verse: “surrendered”, “shelter”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 11.5

    In this verse: “material”

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 11.5

    In this verse: “duties”

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

How can recognizing Kṛṣṇa as the source of every benefit deepen my gratitude and service?

Practice

Identify one benefit you received today, and thank Kṛṣṇa as its ultimate source.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayServing Kṛṣṇa Fulfills All ObligationsOne 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 11.5.41? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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