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Shloka 11

The Deliverance of Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva

Yamala-Arjuna Līlā Prelude and Culmination

Devanagari script

देह: किमन्नदातु: स्वं निषेक्तुर्मातुरेव च । मातु: पितुर्वा बलिन: क्रेतुरग्ने: शुनोऽपि वा ॥ ११ ॥

Transliteration

dehaḥ kim anna-dātuḥ svaṁ niṣektur mātur eva ca mātuḥ pitur vā balinaḥ kretur agneḥ śuno ’pi vā

Translation

¿De quién es este cuerpo: del que lo alimenta, de uno mismo, del padre, de la madre o del abuelo materno? ¿Del que lo arrebata por la fuerza, del amo que lo compra, o de los hijos que lo queman en el fuego? Y si no se quema, ¿pertenece a los perros que lo devoran? Entre tantos pretendientes, ¿quién es el dueño legítimo? Sin discernirlo, no es bueno sostener el cuerpo mediante el pecado.

Synonyms
देहःthe body
देहः:
कर्ता/विषय (Subject/topic)
TypeNoun
Rootदेह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘body’
किम्whose/what
किम्:
प्रश्न (Interrogative)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; interrogative ‘whose?/what?’ (contextual)
अन्नदातुःof the food-giver
अन्नदातुः:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootअन्न + दातृ (प्रातिपदिक; √दा धातु ‘to give’)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन — genitive ‘of the giver of food’
स्वम्one’s own
स्वम्:
सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य (Possessive complement)
TypeNoun
Rootस्व (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘one’s own (property/one’s own)’
निषेक्तुःof the begetter
निषेक्तुः:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootनि + सेक्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; √सिच् धातु ‘to sprinkle/seed/impregnate’)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन — genitive ‘of the begetter/impregnator’
मातुःof the mother
मातुः:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootमातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘of the mother’
एवindeed/only
एव:
निपात (Emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle) — ‘indeed/only’
चand
च:
समुच्चय (Conjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction) — ‘and’
मातुःof the mother
मातुः:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootमातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘of the mother’ (repeated in enumeration)
पितुःof the father
पितुः:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootपितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘of the father’
वाor
वा:
विकल्प (Disjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle) — ‘or’
बलिनःof the strong one
बलिनः:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootबलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘of the strong (one)’
क्रेतुःof the buyer
क्रेतुः:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootक्रेतृ (प्रातिपदिक; √क्री धातु ‘to buy’)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘of the buyer’
अग्नेःof fire
अग्नेः:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootअग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘of fire’
शुनःof a dog
शुनः:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootश्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘of a dog’
अपिeven/also
अपि:
निपात (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निपात — ‘also/even’
वाor
वा:
विकल्प (Disjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विकल्पार्थक — ‘or’
Characters & Entities
K
Kṛṣṇa
N
Nanda Mahārāja
Y
Yaśodā

FAQs

This verse questions bodily ownership from multiple angles—maintainer, parents, master, buyer, fire, or animals—teaching that the body is temporary and not truly “mine,” encouraging detachment and spiritual identity.

While narrating Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, Śukadeva highlights deeper philosophy: even amid intimate household līlā, the Bhagavatam instructs renunciation of false bodily possessiveness and remembrance of the soul’s real shelter in Bhagavān.

Treat the body as a responsibility rather than a possession—care for it without ego, reduce possessiveness, and invest more attention in bhakti (hearing, chanting, service) as one’s lasting identity.

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