Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 48
Vānaprastha-vidhi and Sannyāsa-dharma: Austerity, Detachment, and the Paramahaṁsa Ideal
एतत्तेऽभिहितं साधो भवान् पृच्छति यच्च माम् । यथा स्वधर्मसंयुक्तो भक्तो मां समियात् परम् ॥ ४८ ॥
etat te ’bhihitaṁ sādho bhavān pṛcchati yac ca mām yathā sva-dharma-saṁyukto bhakto māṁ samiyāt param
Ô saint Uddhava, comme tu l’as demandé, Je t’ai exposé le moyen par lequel Mon dévot, parfaitement établi dans son devoir prescrit, peut revenir à Moi, la Personnalité Suprême de Dieu.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Eleventh Canto, Eighteenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Description of Varṇāśrama-dharma.”
FAQs
This verse states that a devotee who remains connected to their prescribed duty (svadharma) and performs it in devotion can attain Krishna, the Supreme.
Uddhava asked Krishna how a devotee, while remaining aligned with one’s rightful duties, can reach the Supreme; Krishna concludes by affirming He has explained that path.
Do your responsibilities ethically and steadily, and consciously offer the results to Krishna—making daily work a vehicle for devotion rather than a distraction from it.