Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 46

Lord Śiva Bewildered by Mohinī

Viṣṇu’s Yoga-māyā and the Limits of Ascetic Power

Devanagari script

एतन्मुहु: कीर्तयतोऽनुश‍ृण्वतो न रिष्यते जातु समुद्यम: क्‍वचित् । यदुत्तमश्लोकगुणानुवर्णनं समस्तसंसारपरिश्रमापहम् ॥ ४६ ॥

Transliteration

etan muhuḥ kīrtayato ’nuśṛṇvato na riṣyate jātu samudyamaḥ kvacit yad uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanaṁ samasta-saṁsāra-pariśramāpaham

Translation

The endeavor of one who repeatedly hears or narrates this account will never be fruitless. Indeed, glorifying Uttamaśloka, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, removes all toil and suffering within this material world.

Synonyms

• etat: this (narration)
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• muhuḥ: again and again
• muhuḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: muhuḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), पुनःपुनः (repeatedly)

• kīrtayataḥ: of one who is chanting/reciting
• kīrtayataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kīrtaya (प्रातिपदिक from √kīrt/√kīr?)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन/द्विवचन-सम्भाव्य; धात्वर्थ: √kīrt (to praise/recite)

• anuśṛṇvataḥ: of one who listens (attentively)
• anuśṛṇvataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-√śru (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन/द्विवचन-सम्भाव्य; अनु + √श्रु (to listen attentively)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• riṣyate: is harmed/fails
• riṣyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: riṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: रिष् (to be harmed/perish)

• jātu: ever
• jātu: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jātu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/adverb), कदाचित्-अर्थे (ever/at any time)

• samudyamaḥ: effort/endeavor
• samudyamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samudyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kvacit: at any time
• kvacit: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), कदाचित्/क्वापि (anywhere/at any time)

• yat: which (is)
• yat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रयोग (relative)

• uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam: the description of the qualities of Uttamaśloka (the Lord)
• uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttamaśloka (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + anuvarṇana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: उत्तमश्लोकस्य गुणानाम् अनुवर्णनम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• samasta-saṁsāra-pariśrama-apaham: removing the toil of the entire cycle of worldly existence
• samasta-saṁsāra-pariśrama-apaham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक) + saṁsāra (प्रातिपदिक) + pariśrama (प्रातिपदिक) + apaha (प्रातिपदिक from apa-√hṛ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (समस्तसंसारपरिश्रमापहम् = समस्तस्य संसारस्य परिश्रमं अपहन्ति इति), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of ‘anuvarṇanam’)

Characters & Entities

• Uttamaśloka (Śrī Hari)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the benefit of hearing and chanting?

This verse says that repeated chanting and attentive hearing of the Lord’s qualities never leads to failure, because such glorification removes the exhaustion born of material life.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī emphasize glorifying Uttamaśloka in this chapter?

While narrating the Lord’s wondrous līlā (Mohinī-mūrti and its effects), Śukadeva highlights that the lasting fruit is bhakti—hearing and chanting the Lord’s qualities—which frees one from worldly struggle.

How can I apply this teaching in modern life?

Make a daily habit of hearing Bhagavatam and chanting the Lord’s names/qualities; this steadies your efforts and reduces stress by shifting the mind from anxiety to devotional remembrance.