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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 3 · The Status Quo · 33 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 3 · Chapter 25: The Glories of Devotional Service
3.25.103.25.12

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.25.11

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Devahūtisince 3.25.11inside 4 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → ViduraLord Kapila → Devahūti

तं त्वा गताहं शरणं शरण्यं

स्वभृत्यसंसारतरो: कुठारम् ।

जिज्ञासयाहं प्रकृते: पूरुषस्य

नमामि सद्धर्मविदां वरिष्ठम् ॥ ११ ॥

taṁ tvā gatāhaṁ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ

sva-bhṛtya-saṁsāra-taroḥ kuṭhāram

jijñāsayāhaṁ prakṛteḥ pūruṣasya

namāmi sad-dharma-vidāṁ variṣṭham

Translation

Devahūti continued: I have taken shelter of Your lotus feet because You are the only person of whom to take shelter. You are the ax which can cut the tree of material existence. I therefore offer my obeisances unto You, who are the greatest of all transcendentalists, and I inquire from You as to the relationship between man and woman and between spirit and matter.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Surrender Cuts Material Entanglement

  1. 1

    Material entanglement arises when living entities try to enjoy and control material nature. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the actual enjoyer; all living entities are His nature, or prakṛti.

  2. 2

    Devahūti takes shelter of Kapila Muni because He can cut her attachment to material existence. For anyone seeking real relief, the best course is full surrender to the Lord.

  3. 3

    The living entity’s eternal occupation is loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The purpose of Kapiladeva’s Sāṅkhya philosophy is pure, uncontaminated devotional service.

Key points from the purport
  • The living entities are trying to lord it over material nature.
  • The living entities, in the guises of men and women, are trying to enjoy the material energy; therefore in one sense everyone is puruṣa because puruṣa means “enjoyer” and prakṛti means “enjoyed.”
  • In this material world both the so-called man and so-called woman are imitating the real puruṣa; the Supreme Personality of Godhead is actually the enjoyer in the transcendental sense, whereas all others are prakṛti.

Śrīla Prabhupāda'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

Entanglement → Insight and liberation. Inquiry matures into instruction in devotion and spiritual nature.

Chapters 25–33 of Canto 3: Kapila instructs Devahūti. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 25: The Glories of Devotional Service

Kapila teaches Devahūti the glories of devotional service, association with devotees, and freedom from material attachment.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.25
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tamthat person
  2. tvāunto You
  3. gatāhave gone
  4. ahamI
  5. śaraṇamshelter
  6. śaraṇyamworth taking shelter of
  7. sva-bhṛtyafor Your dependents
  8. saṁsāraof material existence
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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 3.25

    In this verse: “shelter”, “surrender”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 3.25

    In this verse: “inquire”, “philosophy”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 3.25

    In this verse: “material”, “attachment”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Where am I trying to be the enjoyer rather than a loving servant of the Lord?

Practice

Offer a brief prayer to the Lord asking for shelter and help in loosening one material attachment.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks

His recorded lectures on this verse, and the talks where he quotes it.

1 lecture given on it. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Live this todaySurrender Cuts Material EntanglementThis 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.

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