Shloka 40

Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa: Divine Friendship, Guru-bhakti, and the Lord’s Grace

Devanagari script

अहो हे पुत्रका यूयमस्मदर्थेऽतिदु:खिता: । आत्मा वै प्राणिनां प्रेष्ठस्तमनाद‍ृत्य मत्परा: ॥ ४० ॥

Transliteration

aho he putrakā yūyam asmad-arthe ’ti-duḥkhitāḥ ātmā vai prāṇinām preṣṭhas tam anādṛtya mat-parāḥ

Translation

[Sāndīpani sprach:] Ach, meine Kinder! Um meinetwillen habt ihr so sehr gelitten. Jedem Lebewesen ist der eigene Körper am liebsten; doch ihr, mir ganz ergeben, habt eure eigene Bequemlichkeit missachtet.

Synonyms

• अहो: ah! indeed!
• अहो: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/भावसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विस्मयादिबोधक-निपात (interjection/particle of exclamation)

• हे: O
• हे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हे (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• पुत्रकाः: dear sons/children
• पुत्रकाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अस्मदर्थे: for our sake
• अस्मदर्थे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: अस्मदः अर्थः); पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अति-दुःखिताः: very distressed
• अति-दुःखिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; दुःख्/दुःख + क्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (अति + दुःखित); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘यूयम्’)

• आत्मा: the self
• आत्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• प्राणिनाम्: of living beings
• प्राणिनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• प्रेष्ठः: most dear
• प्रेष्ठः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; श्रेष्ठ/प्रियतम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अतिशय-विशेषण (superlative sense)

• तम्: that (self)
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• अनादृत्य: disregarding
• अनादृत्य: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन् + आदृ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘अनादृ’ = to disregard; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial to main predication)

• मत्पराः: devoted to me; having me as the supreme goal
• मत्पराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत् + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: मम परः = whose highest is me); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘यूयम्’)

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Sudāmā (brāhmaṇa)
• Rukmiṇī
• Kṛṣṇa’s attendants (dāsāḥ/putrakāḥ addressed as children)

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam 10.80.40 teach about devotion and self-sacrifice?

It teaches that pure devotees may even neglect personal comfort for Kṛṣṇa’s sake, and that Kṛṣṇa deeply acknowledges and appreciates such loving service.

Why did Krishna say this verse to Sudama and those serving him?

In the Sudāmā episode (Canto 10, Chapter 80), Kṛṣṇa honors His poor brāhmaṇa friend with extraordinary care; seeing the effort and hardship taken for His sake, He expresses tender concern and gratitude, addressing the servants affectionately as “children.”

How can I apply the message of this shloka in modern life?

Serve with devotion but also with wisdom: offer time and effort for God and His devotees, while remembering that Kṛṣṇa values sincere love—not reckless self-neglect—and He recognizes even small sacrifices made in bhakti.