Shloka 38

The Deliverance of Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva

Yamala-Arjuna Līlā Prelude and Culmination

Devanagari script

वाणी गुणानुकथने श्रवणौ कथायां हस्तौ च कर्मसु मनस्तव पादयोर्न: । स्मृत्यां शिरस्तव निवासजगत्प्रणामे द‍ृष्टि: सतां दर्शनेऽस्तु भवत्तनूनाम् ॥ ३८ ॥

Transliteration

vāṇī guṇānukathane śravaṇau kathāyāṁ hastau ca karmasu manas tava pādayor naḥ smṛtyāṁ śiras tava nivāsa-jagat-praṇāme dṛṣṭiḥ satāṁ darśane ’stu bhavat-tanūnām

Translation

Von nun an mögen unsere Worte Deine Eigenschaften und Lilas besingen; mögen unsere Ohren Deine Herrlichkeiten vernehmen; mögen Hände, Füße und Sinne Werke tun, die Dir gefallen; und möge unser Geist stets an Deinen Lotosfüßen verweilen. Mögest Du in unserem Gedächtnis wohnen; möge unser Haupt sich vor allem in dieser Welt verneigen, denn alles ist auch eine Deiner Gestalten; und mögen unsere Augen die heiligen Vaiṣṇavas schauen, die nicht verschieden von Dir sind.

Synonyms

• vāṇī: speech
• vāṇī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• guṇa-anukathane: in recounting (your) qualities
• guṇa-anukathane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + anukathana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; समासः: गुणानाम् अनुकथनम् (genitive tatpuruṣa)

• śravaṇau: (our) two ears
• śravaṇau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śravaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• kathāyām: in (your) narration
• kathāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• hastau: (our) two hands
• hastau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• karmasu: in actions (service)
• karmasu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• manaḥ: mind
• manaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• pādayoḥ: at (your) two feet
• pādayoḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी/षष्ठी (Locative/Genitive), द्विवचन (Dual); अत्र अधिकरणार्थे (locative)

• naḥ: of us/our
• naḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural), एन्क्लिटिक

• smṛtyām: in remembrance
• smṛtyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: smṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• śiraḥ: head
• śiraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• nivāsa-jagat-praṇāme: in bowing to the world (as) your abode
• nivāsa-jagat-praṇāme: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nivāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + jagat (प्रातिपदिक) + praṇāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; समासः: (निवासे जगति) प्रणामः / निवास-जगत्-प्रणामः (determinative, multi-member)

• dṛṣṭiḥ: sight/vision
• dṛṣṭiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• satām: of the saints/good people
• satām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• darśane: in seeing/at the sight
• darśane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• astu: may it be
• astu: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• bhavat-tanūnām: of your forms/bodies
• bhavat-tanūnām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक) + tanū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः: भवतः तनवः (genitive tatpuruṣa)

Purport

Here the process of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead is given. This process is bhakti.

Characters & Entities

• Krishna (Damodara)
• Nalakuvara
• Manigriva

FAQs

How should a devotee engage the senses according to Srimad Bhagavatam?

This verse teaches sense-engagement in devotion: speak Krishna’s qualities, hear His kathā, serve with the hands, fix the mind on His lotus feet, bow in remembrance, and see saints and the Lord’s divine forms.

Why did Nalakuvara and Manigriva offer this prayer to Krishna?

After being delivered from their cursed condition as trees by Lord Krishna, they express gratitude and pray for lasting devotion—asking that every faculty of body and mind remain dedicated to Him.

What is a practical modern application of this shloka?

Align daily habits with bhakti: use speech for kirtan and kind truth, listen to Bhagavatam talks, do tangible service, remember Krishna during the day, offer obeisances, and seek the company and darshan of sincere devotees.