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Shloka 11

Nārada’s Arrival, the Nine Yogendras, and the Foundations of Bhāgavata-dharma

श्रीनारद उवाच सम्यगेतद् व्यवसितं भवता सात्वतर्षभ । यत् पृच्छसे भागवतान् धर्मांस्त्वं विश्वभावनान् ॥ ११ ॥

śrī-nārada uvāca samyag etad vyavasitaṁ bhavatā sātvatarṣabha yat pṛcchase bhāgavatān dharmāṁs tvaṁ viśva-bhāvanān

قال شري نارَد: يا خيرَ الساتڤتة، لقد أحسنتَ العزمَ والسؤال؛ إذ تسأل عن الواجب الأبدي للروح تجاه الربّ الأعلى، أي بهاگڤتا-دهرما. إن هذه الخدمة التعبدية قوية حتى إنها تُطهِّر الكون بأسره.

śrī-nāradaḥŚrī Nārada
śrī-nāradaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootśrī (प्रातिपदिक) + nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; honorific name
uvācasaid
uvāca:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
FormLiṭ-lakāra (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथम), Singular (एकवचन)
samyakproperly
samyak:
Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsamyak (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; adverb (well/correctly)
etatthis
etat:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootetad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun; Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; subject of vyavasitam
vyavasitamis well determined
vyavasitam:
Karta-dharma (कर्तृ-धर्म)
TypeVerb
Rootvi + ava + so (धातु)
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate to etat: ‘is determined/decided’
bhavatāby you
bhavatā:
Kartr-karana (कर्तृ-करण)
TypeNoun
Rootbhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun/honorific; Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; agent (कर्ता in passive construction)
sātvata-ṛṣabhaO best of the Sātvatas
sātvata-ṛṣabha:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootsātvata (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣabha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (sātvatanām ṛṣabhaḥ)
yatthat which
yat:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormRelative pronoun; Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; correlates with etat
pṛcchaseyou ask
pṛcchase:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootprach (धातु)
FormLaṭ-lakāra (Present/वर्तमान), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person/मध्यम), Singular (एकवचन)
bhāgavatāndevotional / pertaining to the Lord
bhāgavatān:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootbhāgavata (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; qualifies dharmān
dharmānprinciples / duties
dharmān:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootdharma (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; object of pṛcchase
tvamyou
tvam:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun; Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; subject of pṛcchase
viśva-bhāvanānnourishing/sustaining the universe
viśva-bhāvanān:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootviśva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāvana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (viśvasya bhāvanaḥ) used as adjective to dharmān

A similar statement was made by Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī in the first verse of the Second Canto when he congratulated Parīkṣit Mahārāja for asking about Kṛṣṇa.

N
Nārada
V
Vasudeva

FAQs

This verse affirms that bhāgavata-dharma—devotional duties centered on Bhagavān—is the proper and universal path, beneficial for the entire world.

Because Vasudeva’s inquiry was not for mere debate or ritual detail, but for the essential principles of devotion that uplift all beings; Nārada recognizes this as the best determination.

Seek the core practices of devotion—hearing, chanting, remembering, and serving with sincerity—so your spiritual life becomes purposeful and beneficial to others as well.