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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 4: Vidura Approaches Maitreya
3.4.143.4.16

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.4.15

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Uddhavasince 3.4.14inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitUddhava → Vidura

को न्वीश ते पादसरोजभाजां

सुदुर्लभोऽर्थेषु चतुर्ष्वपीह ।

तथापि नाहं प्रवृणोमि भूमन्

भवत्पदाम्भोजनिषेवणोत्सुक: ॥ १५ ॥

ko nv īśa te pāda-saroja-bhājāṁ

sudurlabho ’rtheṣu caturṣv apīha

tathāpi nāhaṁ pravṛṇomi bhūman

bhavat-padāmbhoja-niṣevaṇotsukaḥ

Translation

O my Lord, devotees who engage in the transcendental loving service of Your lotus feet have no difficulty in achieving anything within the realm of the four principles of religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation. But, O great one, as far as I am concerned, I have preferred only to engage in the loving service of Your lotus feet.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Choose Loving Service Over Personal Benefit

  1. 1

    Devotees engaged in loving service can achieve religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation without difficulty. Yet these rewards are not the pure devotee’s aim.

  2. 2

    Devotees never accept sāyujya-mukti, merging into the Lord’s rays, the brahmajyoti. Their desire is to remain engaged in His transcendental loving service.

  3. 3

    Uddhava preferred only service to the Lord’s lotus feet. A pure devotee does not consider personal benefit.

Key points from the purport
  • The devotees engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord never accept the sāyujya-mukti, or merging in the rays of the Lord called the brahmajyoti.
  • The devotees can achieve not only liberation but any success in the realm of religiosity, economic development or sense gratification up to the standard of the demigods in the heavenly planets.
  • A pure devotee wants simply to engage in the service of the Lord and does not consider his own personal benefit.

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

Separation → Devotional remembrance. Uddhava's tears and silence make remembrance emotionally immediate.

Chapters 1–4 of Canto 3: Vidura meets Uddhava and hears of Kṛṣṇa. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 4: Vidura Approaches Maitreya

Uddhava recalls the Lord’s instructions and directs Vidura to receive transcendental knowledge from Maitreya.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.4
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. kaḥ nu īśaO my Lord
  2. teYour
  3. pāda-saroja-bhājāmof the devotees engaged in the transcendental loving service of Your lotus feet
  4. su-durlabhaḥvery difficult to obtain
  5. artheṣuin the matter of
  6. caturṣuin the four objectives
  7. apiin spite of
  8. ihain this world
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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

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 3.4

    In this verse: “religiosity”, “principles”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 3.4

    In this verse: “sense gratification”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 3.4

    In this verse: “devotees”

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

Do I seek devotional service itself, or mainly what I hope to gain from it?

Practice

Do one small act of devotional service today without asking the Lord for any personal reward.

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.

Quoted in 1 lecture. Recordings and transcripts on prabhupada.io.

Quoted in 1 lecture

In each of these he quotes this verse while speaking on another verse or subject. "Find the quote" opens the transcript at that spot.

Live this todayChoose Loving Service Over Personal BenefitThis 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 3.4.15? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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