Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 28

Nārada and Aṅgirā Instruct Citraketu: Impermanence, Ātma-Tattva, and Mantra-Upadeśa

Devanagari script

यत्पादमूलमुपसृत्य नरेन्द्र पूर्वे शर्वादयो भ्रममिमं द्वितयं विसृज्य । सद्यस्तदीयमतुलानधिकं महित्वं प्रापुर्भवानपि परं न चिरादुपैति ॥ २८ ॥

Transliteration

yat-pāda-mūlam upasṛtya narendra pūrve śarvādayo bhramam imaṁ dvitayaṁ visṛjya sadyas tadīyam atulānadhikaṁ mahitvaṁ prāpur bhavān api paraṁ na cirād upaiti

Translation

My dear King, in former days Lord Śiva and other demigods took shelter of the lotus feet of Saṅkarṣaṇa. Thus they immediately got free from the illusion of duality and achieved unequaled and unsurpassed glories in spiritual life. You will very soon attain that very same position.

Synonyms

• yat-pāda-mūlam: the root of whose feet
• yat-pāda-mūlam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (प्रातिपदिक) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (यस्य पादयोः मूलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; accusative singular neuter (object of upasṛtya)

• upasṛtya: having approached
• upasṛtya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√sṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त); gerund ‘having approached’

• narendra: O king
• narendra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (नराणाम् इन्द्रः); सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; vocative singular masculine

• pūrve: the former ones (ancients)
• pūrve: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; nominative plural masculine

• śarva-ādayaḥ: Śarva and others
• śarva-ādayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarva (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (शर्वः आदिः येषाम् = beginning with Śarva); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; nominative plural masculine

• bhramam: delusion/error
• bhramam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; accusative singular masculine

• imam: this
• imam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; accusative singular masculine qualifying bhramam

• dvitayam: the pair/duality
• dvitayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvitaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; accusative singular neuter (apposition to bhramam: ‘this duality’)

• visṛjya: having cast off
• visṛjya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√sṛj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त); gerund ‘having abandoned/released’

• sadyaḥ: immediately
• sadyaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय; adverb ‘immediately’

• tadīyam: his/pertaining to him
• tadīyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tadīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; accusative singular neuter qualifying mahitvam

• atula-anadhikam: incomparable and unsurpassed
• atula-anadhikam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: atula (प्रातिपदिक) + anadhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व (अतुलं च अनधिकं च); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; accusative singular neuter qualifying mahitvam

• mahitvam: greatness
• mahitvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahitva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; accusative singular neuter

• prāpuḥ: attained
• prāpuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√āp (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; perfect 3rd person plural

• bhavān: you
• bhavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भवत्-शब्द, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; nominative singular masculine (honorific ‘you’)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; particle ‘also/even’

• param: the supreme (goal/state)
• param: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; accusative singular neuter used adverbially ‘the supreme (state)’

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात; negation particle

• cirāt: after long (delay)
• cirāt: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तद्धितान्त/अव्यय-प्रयोग; ablative sense adverb ‘after a long time’

• upaiti: attains/approaches
• upaiti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√i (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; present indicative 3rd person singular

Purport

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Sixth Canto, Fifteenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “The Saints Nārada and Aṅgirā Instruct King Citraketu.”

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śarva)
• Citraketu (King)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about taking shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet?

This verse teaches that approaching the Lord’s lotus feet removes worldly delusion and grants swift attainment of the Supreme—an incomparable result even sought by great devas like Śiva.

Why did Śukadeva Gosvāmī say this to King Citraketu?

Śukadeva encourages Citraketu by citing the example of exalted gods who attained perfection by surrendering at the Lord’s feet, assuring the king that he too will soon reach the Supreme through devotion.

How can I apply ‘giving up duality’ in modern life according to this shloka?

Practice steady devotion and God-centered decision-making—reducing attachment to opposites like praise/blame and gain/loss—by repeatedly taking shelter of the Lord through prayer, remembrance, and service.