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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.9.33

Who is speaking and story frame

अवधूतवच: श्रुत्वा पूर्वेषां न: स पूर्वज: ।

सर्वसङ्गविनिर्मुक्त: समचित्तो बभूव ह ॥ ३३ ॥

avadhūta-vacaḥ śrutvā

pūrveṣāṁ naḥ sa pūrva-jaḥ

sarva-saṅga-vinirmuktaḥ

sama-citto babhūva ha

Translation

O Uddhava, hearing the words of the avadhūta, the saintly King Yadu, who is the forefather of our own ancestors, became free from all material attachment, and thus his mind was evenly fixed on the spiritual platform.

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.

Hearing Spiritual Wisdom Frees the Mind

  1. 1

    By hearing the avadhūta’s words, saintly King Yadu became free from all material attachment. His mind became evenly fixed on the spiritual platform.

  2. 2

    The Lord praises His own dynasty, Yadu-vaṁśa, because many great self-realized kings appeared in it. King Yadu was a forefather of the Lord’s own ancestors.

  3. 3

    Dattātreya, in the form of an avadhūta brāhmaṇa, enlightened King Yadu. He taught the King to fix his consciousness on the spiritual platform of detachment by observing God’s creation.

Key points from the purport
  • Here the Lord praises His own dynasty, called Yadu-vaṁśa, because there appeared in that dynasty many great self-realized kings.
  • King Yadu was enlightened by Dattātreya in the form of an avadhūta brāhmaṇa who taught the King to fix his consciousness on the spiritual platform of detachment by simply observing the creation of God.
  • Thus end the purports by the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C.

The purport's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

How it feels

Grief and dependence → Detachment. The temporary world becomes a source of spiritual instruction.

Chapters 7–9 of Canto 11: The avadhuta's twenty-four teachers. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 9: Detachment from All that Is Material

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Seeing that the fragile material body is subject to birth and death, one who is sober should become devoid of material attachment to this body and should properly utilize the rare gift of human life in the pursuit of knowledge, endeavoring always for the achievement of the highest goal.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.9
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. avadhūtaof the avadhūta brāhmaṇa
  2. vacaḥthe words
  3. śrutvāhaving heard
  4. pūrveṣāmof the ancestors
  5. naḥour
  6. saḥhe
  7. pūrvajaḥhimself a forefather
  8. sarvaall
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 11.9

    In this verse: “attachment”, “material”

  • Vairāgya · Freedom from attachment

    Release from possessiveness and false identities. · Theme in SB 11.9

    In this verse: “free from”, “detachment”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 11.9

    In this verse: “hearing”

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 might thoughtful attention to God’s creation help loosen one of my material attachments?

Practice

Spend two quiet minutes observing something in God’s creation, and reflect on how it can remind you to become less materially attached.

5

The story around it

The stories this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayHearing Spiritual Wisdom Frees the MindThis 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 11.9.33? Get an answer from the verses themselves.