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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 6: The Yadu Dynasty Retires to Prabhāsa
11.5.5211.6.2-4

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.6.1

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 11.6.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीशुक उवाच

अथ ब्रह्मात्मजै: देवै: प्रजेशैरावृतोऽभ्यगात् ।

भवश्च भूतभव्येशो ययौ भूतगणैर्वृत: ॥ १ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca

atha brahmātma-jaiḥ devaiḥ

prajeśair āvṛto ’bhyagāt

bhavaś ca bhūta-bhavyeśo

yayau bhūta-gaṇair vṛtaḥ

Translation

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Lord Brahmā then set off for Dvārakā, accompanied by his own sons as well as by the demigods and the great Prajāpatis. Lord Śiva, the bestower of auspiciousness to all living beings, also went, surrounded by many ghostly creatures.

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.

An Auspicious Gathering at Dvārakā

  1. 1

    Lord Brahmā set off for Dvārakā with his sons, the demigods and the great Prajāpatis.

  2. 2

    Lord Śiva also went to Dvārakā. He is described as the bestower of auspiciousness to all living beings.

  3. 3

    Many ghostly creatures accompanied Lord Śiva. These great personalities and their followers gathered at Dvārakā.

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 6: The Yadu Dynasty Retires to Prabhāsa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Desiring to see Śrī Kṛṣṇa in His humanlike form, which enchants all the worlds, the Gandharvas, Apsarās, Nāgas, Ṛṣis, Pitās, Vidyādharas, Kinnaras and other demigods, all headed by Brahmā, Śiva and Indra, arrived at the city of Dvārakā. Covering the body of Kṛṣṇa with flower garlands from the Nandana gardens of heaven, they praised Him with statements about His transcendental power and qualities.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.6
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-śukaḥ uvācaŚrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
  2. athathen
  3. brahmāLord Brahmā
  4. ātma-jaiḥby his sons (headed by Sanaka)
  5. devaiḥby the demigods
  6. prajā-īśaiḥand by the progenitors of universal population (headed by Marīci)
  7. āvṛtaḥsurrounded
  8. abhyagātwent (to Dvārakā)
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

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What helps me approach a sacred gathering with respect?

Practice

Read the translation slowly today, noticing each group that journeys to Dvārakā.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayAn Auspicious Gathering at DvārakāThis 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 11.6.1? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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