Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 53

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

Devanagari script

त्रिभुवनविभवहेतवेऽप्यकुण्ठ- स्मृतिरजितात्मसुरादिभिर्विमृग्यात् । न चलति भगवत्पदारविन्दा- ल्ल‍वनिमिषार्धमपि य: स वैष्णवाग्य्र: ॥ ५३ ॥

Transliteration

tri-bhuvana-vibhava-hetave ’py akuṇṭha- smṛtir ajitātma-surādibhir vimṛgyāt na calati bhagavat-padāravindāl lava-nimiṣārdham api yaḥ sa vaiṣṇavāgryaḥ

Translation

Selbst wenn man ihm Herrschaft und Pracht der drei Welten anböte, vergisst der reine Geweihte die Lotosfüße des Bhagavān nicht, nach denen selbst Brahmā und Śiva suchen. Er verlässt diesen Schutz nicht einen Augenblick, nicht einmal einen halben; ein solcher ist der höchste Vaiṣṇava.

Synonyms

• त्रि-भुवन-विभव-हेतवे: for the cause of the opulence of the three worlds
• त्रि-भुवन-विभव-हेतवे: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Purpose; ‘for the sake of’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + भुवन (प्रातिपदिक) + विभव (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (tribhuvanasya vibhavasya hetuḥ)

• अपि: even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Concession)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive/emphatic particle)

• अकुण्ठ-स्मृतिः: unfailing remembrance
• अकुण्ठ-स्मृतिः: कर्ता/भाव (Subject of vimṛgyāt)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकुण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (akūṇṭhā smṛtiḥ)

• अजित-आत्म-सुर-आदिभिः: by those of conquered self and by gods and others
• अजित-आत्म-सुर-आदिभिः: कर्ता (Agent in passive sense; by whom it is sought)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजित (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समाहार-तत्पुरुषः/बहुवचन-समूहः (ajitātmabhiḥ surādibhiḥ)

• विमृग्यात्: may be sought
• विमृग्यात्: क्रिया (Verb; action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मृग् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थः (may be sought)

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध (Negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• चलति: moves; deviates
• चलति: क्रिया (Verb; action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चल् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भगवत्-पद-अरविन्दात्: from the Lord’s lotus feet
• भगवत्-पद-अरविन्दात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Source; ‘from’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक) + अरविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (aravinda), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (bhagavataḥ pada-aravindāt)

• लव-निमिष-अर्धम्: even half a moment
• लव-निमिष-अर्धम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; extent/duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लव (प्रातिपदिक) + निमिष (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (lava-nimiṣasya ardham)

• अपि: even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वैष्णव-अग्र्यः: the foremost Vaiṣṇava
• वैष्णव-अग्र्यः: प्रत्यय (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (vaiṣṇavānām agryaḥ)

Purport

According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī one may ask, “If one were able to gain the opulence of the entire universe in exchange for leaving the Lord’s lotus feet for just half a moment, what would be the harm in leaving the Lord’s lotus feet for such an insignificant amount of time?” The answer is given by the word akuṇṭha-smṛti. It is simply impossible for a pure devotee to forget the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, since everything that exists is in fact an expansion of the Supreme Lord. Since nothing is separate from the Supreme Lord, a pure devotee of the Lord cannot think of anything but the Lord. Nor can a pure devotee contemplate ruling or enjoying universal opulence; even if given all the opulence of the universe, he would immediately offer it at the lotus feet of the Lord and return to his position of a humble servant of the Lord.

Characters & Entities

• Ajita (Bhagavan)

FAQs

What are the qualities of a foremost Vaiṣṇava in Srimad Bhagavatam 11.2?

A foremost Vaiṣṇava has unbroken remembrance of Ajita (the Lord) and never leaves the Lord’s lotus feet even for half a moment, remaining uninterested in the opulence of the three worlds.

Why did Kavi Yogendra describe the pure devotee to King Nimi in Bhagavatam 11.2?

King Nimi asked the Nine Yogendras to explain bhakti and the marks of advanced devotees; Kavi answers by defining the topmost Vaiṣṇava as one whose mind never departs from Bhagavān’s lotus feet.

How can I apply “unbroken remembrance of Krishna” in modern life?

Keep steady practices that return the mind to Krishna—daily nāma-japa, hearing Bhāgavatam, and offering one’s work to Bhagavān—so that remembrance becomes continuous despite worldly attractions.