Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 19

Rahūgaṇa Meets Jaḍa Bharata: The Shaking Palanquin and the Teaching Beyond Body-Identity

Devanagari script

अहं च योगेश्वरमात्मतत्त्व- विदां मुनीनां परमं गुरुं वै । प्रष्टुं प्रवृत्त: किमिहारणं तत् साक्षाद्धरिं ज्ञानकलावतीर्णम् ॥ १९ ॥

Transliteration

ahaṁ ca yogeśvaram ātma-tattva- vidāṁ munīnāṁ paramaṁ guruṁ vai praṣṭuṁ pravṛttaḥ kim ihāraṇaṁ tat sākṣād dhariṁ jñāna-kalāvatīrṇam

Translation

Te considero el yogeśvara, el maestro supremo entre los sabios que conocen la verdad del alma. Has descendido para el bien del mundo y eres el representante directo de Kapiladeva—Hari mismo, encarnación de la plenitud del conocimiento. Por eso, oh maestro espiritual, pregunto: ¿cuál es el refugio más seguro en este mundo?

Synonyms

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• yogeśvaram: the Lord of yoga
• yogeśvaram: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—योगस्य ईश्वरः

• ātma-tattva-vidām: of the knowers of the truth of the Self
• ātma-tattva-vidām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + tattva (प्रातिपदिक) + vid (प्रातिपदिक; ‘विद्’ = जानन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—आत्मतत्त्वं विदन्ति ये तेषाम्

• munīnām: of sages
• munīnām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गुरुम् इति)

• gurum: teacher
• gurum: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (indeed/emphatic particle)

• praṣṭum: to ask
• praṣṭum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive) ‘प्रष्टुम्’ = पृच्छितुम्

• pravṛttaḥ: have set out/engaged
• pravṛttaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-vṛt (धातु)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (PPP) ‘प्रवृत्तः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः—‘engaged/has set out’

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• iha: here/in this matter
• iha: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: here/in this matter)

• āraṇam: reason/cause
• āraṇam: Karta/Karma (contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थः—कारणम्/निमित्तम् (cause/reason)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• sākṣāt: directly
• sākṣāt: Visheshana (विशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sākṣāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): प्रत्यक्षतः/directly

• harim: Hari (Vishnu)
• harim: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• jñāna-kalā-avatīrṇam: descended with a portion of knowledge
• jñāna-kalā-avatīrṇam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + kalā (प्रातिपदिक) + ava-tṝ (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) ‘अवतीर्ण’; तत्पुरुषः—ज्ञानकलया अवतीर्णम्

Purport

As Kṛṣṇa confirms in Bhagavad-gītā :

Characters & Entities

• Hari

FAQs

Who is called the supreme guru of self-realized sages in Srimad Bhagavatam?

This verse identifies Lord Hari Himself as the supreme guru of the munis who know ātma-tattva, because He is the direct source of spiritual knowledge.

Why does Jada Bharata emphasize inquiry (praṣṭum) in this verse?

He highlights that genuine understanding comes by sincerely questioning the highest authority—Hari, the master of yoga and knowledge—about the true cause behind one’s condition and experience.

Practical application: how can I use this teaching in modern life?

Instead of guessing the meaning of life’s difficulties, cultivate humble inquiry into self-realization—seeking guidance from authentic spiritual sources centered on Hari and ātma-tattva.