Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 55

Kṛṣṇa Leads Kālayavana to Mucukunda; The Yavana Is Burned; Mucukunda’s Prayers and Boon of Bhakti

Devanagari script

न कामयेऽन्यं तव पादसेवना- दकिञ्चनप्रार्थ्यतमाद्वरं विभो । आराध्य कस्त्वां ह्यपवर्गदं हरे वृणीत आर्यो वरमात्मबन्धनम् ॥ ५५ ॥

Transliteration

na kāmaye ’nyaṁ tava pāda-sevanād akiñcana-prārthyatamād varaṁ vibho ārādhya kas tvāṁ hy apavarga-daṁ hare vṛṇīta āryo varam ātma-bandhanam

Translation

Lạy Đấng Toàn Năng, con chẳng cầu ân huệ nào ngoài việc phụng sự đôi chân sen của Ngài—ân huệ mà người vô dục khát khao nhất. Lạy Hari, Đấng ban giải thoát, ai là người sáng suốt thờ phụng Ngài lại chọn ân huệ tự trói buộc mình?

Synonyms

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध)

• kāmaye: I desire
• kāmaye: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kam (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Ātmanepada, 1st person, Singular; √kam (कम्) ‘to desire’

• anyam: another
• anyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; used substantively ‘another (boon)’

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Genitive (6th), Singular

• pāda-sevanāt: than the service of (your) feet
• pāda-sevanāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + sevana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; तत्पुरुष: ‘feet’ + ‘service’; ablative of comparison/source ‘than/from serving (your) feet’

• akiñcana-prārthyatamāt: than (that which is) most sought by the poor
• akiñcana-prārthyatamāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kiñcana (प्रातिपदिक) + prārthyatama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular; तत्पुरुष: ‘by the destitute’ + ‘most to be prayed for’ (superlative -tama)

• varam: a boon
• varam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• vibho: O all-powerful one
• vibho: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• ārādhya: having worshiped
• ārādhya: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + rādh (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), from √rādh (राध्) with prefix ā-; indeclinable verbal form

• kaḥ: who?
• kaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative pronoun, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• hi: indeed
• hi: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic/causal particle (निपात)

• apavarga-dam: the giver of liberation
• apavarga-dam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apavarga (प्रातिपदिक) + da (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष: ‘liberation’ + ‘giving’ (da = agentive from √dā, ‘giver’) qualifying tvām

• hare: O Hari
• hare: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• vṛṇīta: would choose
• vṛṇīta: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Singular

• āryaḥ: a noble person
• āryaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• varam: a boon
• varam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ātma-bandhanam: self-bondage
• ātma-bandhanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + bandhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष: ‘self’ + ‘bondage’

Purport

The Lord offered Mucukunda anything he desired, but Mucukunda desired only the Lord. This is pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Hari
• Mucukunda

FAQs

What boon does King Mucukunda ask from Krishna in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.51?

He asks for nothing material—only continued service to Krishna’s lotus feet, calling it the highest boon sought by the truly renounced.

Why does Mucukunda reject other boons after meeting Lord Krishna?

Because Krishna is apavarga-da, the giver of liberation; Mucukunda sees that choosing material rewards would only create fresh bondage for the soul.

How can this teaching be applied in modern life?

Prioritize devotional practice and inner freedom over endless acquisitions—choose habits that reduce attachment and increase remembrance and service of God.