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

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Canto 5 · The Creative Impetus · 26 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 5 · Chapter 25: The Glories of Lord Ananta
5.25.105.25.12

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.25.11

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 5.25.7inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

यन्नाम श्रुतमनुकीर्तयेदकस्मा-

दार्तो वा यदि पतित: प्रलम्भनाद्वा ।

हन्त्यंह: सपदि नृणामशेषमन्यं

कं शेषाद्भ‍गवत आश्रयेन्मुमुक्षु: ॥ ११ ॥

yan-nāma śrutam anukīrtayed akasmād

ārto vā yadi patitaḥ pralambhanād vā

hanty aṁhaḥ sapadi nṛṇām aśeṣam anyaṁ

kaṁ śeṣād bhagavata āśrayen mumukṣuḥ

Translation

Even if he be distressed or degraded, any person who chants the holy name of the Lord, having heard it from a bona fide spiritual master, is immediately purified. Even if he chants the Lord’s name jokingly or by chance, he and anyone who hears him are freed from all sins. Therefore how can anyone seeking disentanglement from the material clutches avoid chanting the name of Lord Śeṣa? Of whom else should one take shelter?

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Take Shelter of the Lord’s Holy Name

  1. 1

    Anyone who chants the Lord’s holy name after hearing it from a bona fide spiritual master is immediately purified, even if distressed or degraded.

  2. 2

    Even when the Lord’s name is chanted jokingly or by chance, the chanter and anyone who hears are freed from all sins.

  3. 3

    The verse urges anyone seeking freedom from material bondage to chant the name of Lord Śeṣa and take shelter of Him.

How it feels

Smallness → Awe and reverence. A vast cosmos changes the reader's perspective.

Chapters 15–25 of Canto 5: The cosmic regions and divine worship. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 25: The Glories of Lord Ananta

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Anyone who hears about Him from a proper spiritual master becomes free from all material conceptions of life. The entire material energy is working according to the plans of Anantadeva.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 5.25
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. yatof whom
  2. nāmathe holy name
  3. śrutamheard
  4. anukīrtayetmay chant or repeat
  5. akasmātby accident
  6. ārtaḥa distressed person
  7. vāor
  8. yadiif
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

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 5.25

    In this verse: “chants”, “heard”, “holy name”

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 5.25

    In this verse: “purified”, “sins”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 5.25

    In this verse: “material”

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 can I turn to the Lord’s holy name when I feel distressed?

Practice

Today, take a quiet moment to chant the name of Lord Śeṣa attentively.

Live this todayTake Shelter of the Lord’s Holy NameThis 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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