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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.
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Canto 3 · Chapter 29: Explanation of Devotional Service by Lord Kapila
3.29.323.29.34

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.29.33

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Kapilasince 3.29.7inside 4 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → ViduraLord Kapila → Devahūti

तस्मान्मय्यर्पिताशेषक्रियार्थात्मा निरन्तर: ।

मय्यर्पितात्मन: पुंसो मयि संन्यस्तकर्मण: ।

न पश्यामि परं भूतमकर्तु: समदर्शनात् ॥ ३३ ॥

tasmān mayy arpitāśeṣa-

kriyārthātmā nirantaraḥ

mayy arpitātmanaḥ puṁso

mayi sannyasta-karmaṇaḥ

na paśyāmi paraṁ bhūtam

akartuḥ sama-darśanāt

Translation

Therefore I do not find a greater person than he who has no interest outside of Mine and who therefore engages and dedicates all his activities and all his life — everything — unto Me without cessation.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Dedicate Everything to the Supreme Lord

  1. 1

    A pure devotee has no interest separate from the Lord's interest. Kṛṣṇa is the worshipful Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  2. 2

    Sharing the Lord's interest does not mean becoming identical with Him. Service requires the master, the servant and the service.

  3. 3

    The greatest devotee dedicates life, activities, mind and soul to the Lord's satisfaction. Such a devotee works without a sense of proprietorship or a desire to enjoy the results personally.

Key points from the purport
  • He preached that Kṛṣṇa is the worshipful Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and that the interest of His pure devotees is the same as His own.
  • When Lord Caitanya preached Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it was not with the purpose that people would call Him Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rather, He preached that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and should be worshiped as such.
  • Therefore it is clearly stated, mayi sannyasta-karmaṇaḥ: the devotee works, but he works for the Supreme.

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

Connected verses· 1

Quoted in the purport ofSB 5.5.25

Śrī Kapiladeva also confirms this in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.29.33): The brāhmaṇas are always dedicated to the Lord’s service with their bodies, words and mind.

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

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 29: Explanation of Devotional Service by Lord Kapila

Kapila explains devotional service, honoring the Lord’s presence in all beings, and the power of time.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.29
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tasmātthan him
  2. mayiunto Me
  3. arpitaoffered
  4. aśeṣaall
  5. kriyāactions
  6. arthawealth
  7. ātmālife, soul
  8. nirantaraḥwithout cessation
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 3.29

    In this verse: “devotee”, “worshipful”

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

In my activities, am I seeking my own recognition or the Lord's satisfaction?

Practice

Before one activity today, consciously dedicate your effort and its result to Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDedicate Everything to the Supreme LordThis 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 3.29.33? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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