Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 48
Vānaprastha-vidhi and Sannyāsa-dharma: Austerity, Detachment, and the Paramahaṁsa Ideal
एतत्तेऽभिहितं साधो भवान् पृच्छति यच्च माम् । यथा स्वधर्मसंयुक्तो भक्तो मां समियात् परम् ॥ ४८ ॥
etat te ’bhihitaṁ sādho bhavān pṛcchati yac ca mām yathā sva-dharma-saṁyukto bhakto māṁ samiyāt param
My dear saintly Uddhava, I have now described to you, just as you inquired, the means by which My devotee, perfectly engaged in his prescribed duty, can come back to Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Eleventh Canto, Eighteenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Description of Varṇāśrama-dharma.”
FAQs
This verse states that a devotee who remains connected to their prescribed duty (svadharma) and performs it in devotion can attain Krishna, the Supreme.
Uddhava asked Krishna how a devotee, while remaining aligned with one’s rightful duties, can reach the Supreme; Krishna concludes by affirming He has explained that path.
Do your responsibilities ethically and steadily, and consciously offer the results to Krishna—making daily work a vehicle for devotion rather than a distraction from it.