Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 39

Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi Meets Lord Śiva: Devotee as Living Tīrtha and the Lord’s Māyā

Devanagari script

सोऽप्यवाप्तमहायोगमहिमा भार्गवोत्तम: । विचरत्यधुनाप्यद्धा हरावेकान्ततां गत: ॥ ३९ ॥

Transliteration

so ’py avāpta-mahā-yoga- mahimā bhārgavottamaḥ vicaraty adhunāpy addhā harāv ekāntatāṁ gataḥ

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi, the best of the descendants of Bhṛgu, is glorious for attaining the perfection of mahā-yoga. Even today he wanders this world, fully absorbed in exclusive, unalloyed devotion to Śrī Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Synonyms

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ

• अवाप्तमहायोगमहिमा: one who has attained the glory of great yoga
• अवाप्तमहायोगमहिमा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवाप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; अव+आप्/आप्नोति) + महायोग + महिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—(अवाप्तः महायोगमहिमा यस्य) अर्थे बहुव्रीह्यर्थप्रायः, but form used as epithet; ‘one whose great-yoga glory is attained’

• भार्गवोत्तमः: the best of the Bhārgavas
• भार्गवोत्तमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्गव + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘best among the Bhārgavas’

• विचरति: wanders / moves about
• विचरति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अपि: even / also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• अद्धा: certainly / plainly
• अद्धा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्धा (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/क्रियाविशेषण (indeed, clearly)

• हरौ: in Hari (Vishnu)
• हरौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन

• एकान्तताम्: exclusive devotion / single-mindedness
• एकान्तताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकान्तता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• गतः: having gone / having attained
• गतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; subject qualifier

Characters & Entities

• Paraśurāma
• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about exclusive devotion (ekānta-bhakti) to Hari?

This verse states that even an extraordinarily perfected being like Paraśurāma ultimately abides in one-pointed, exclusive shelter of Hari—showing bhakti as the highest orientation beyond mere yogic prowess.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī mention Paraśurāma still wandering the world today?

Śukadeva highlights Paraśurāma as a living example of a perfected, detached devotee—someone who, despite immense yogic glory, remains absorbed in Hari and moves through the world without material entanglement.

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

Pursue spiritual disciplines, but make devotion and exclusive reliance on God your center—reduce distractions, cultivate steady remembrance of Hari, and let achievements remain secondary to surrender.