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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

O heiliger Uddhava, wie du gefragt hast, habe Ich dir den Weg beschrieben, durch den Mein Geweihter, fest in seiner vorgeschriebenen Pflicht, zu Mir zurückkehrt, zur Höchsten Persönlichkeit Gottes.

etatthis (matter)
etat:
Karma (कर्म) / or Karta (कर्ता) with passive sense
TypeNoun
Rootetad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd—प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative pronoun
teto you
te:
Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Roottvad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (सर्वनाम), Dative (4th—चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)
abhihitamhas been explained/told
abhihitam:
Kriya (क्रिया) — passive predicate
TypeVerb
Rootabhidhā (अभिधा धातु) + kta (क्त)
FormPast passive participle (कर्मणि भूतकृदन्त—क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative Singular (प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन); agrees with etat
sādhoO saint/good man
sādho:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootsādhu (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th—सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)
bhavānyou (hon.)
bhavān:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootbhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun-like honorific (भवत्), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st—प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
pṛcchatiasks
pṛcchati:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootprach (पृच्छ् धातु)
FormPresent tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
yatwhich (thing) that
yat:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd—द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध) — connector
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormConjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)
māmme
mām:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (सर्वनाम), Accusative (2nd—द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
yathāhow/so that
yathā:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय)
FormAdverb/Conjunction (उपपद/सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय) introducing manner/purpose clause
sva-dharma-saṁyuktaḥconnected with one’s own duty
sva-dharma-saṁyuktaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता) — qualifier of bhaktaḥ
TypeAdjective
Rootsva (प्रातिपदिक) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + saṁyukta (सम्+युज् धातु + क्त)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st—प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: sva-dharma (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘one’s own duty’) + saṁyukta (‘joined/connected’)
bhaktaḥa devotee
bhaktaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootbhakta (भज् धातु + क्त)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st—प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); ‘devotee’ (agent-noun from PPP used substantively)
māmme
mām:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (सर्वनाम), Accusative (2nd—द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
samiyātmay attain/approach
samiyāt:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootsam + i (इ धातु)
FormOptative/benedictive sense (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
paramthe supreme (goal)
param:
Karma (कर्म) — goal/object
TypeAdjective
Rootpara (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd—द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); used substantively ‘the supreme (state)’

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.”

Ś
Śrī Kṛṣṇa
U
Uddhava

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.