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Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 11

The Deliverance of Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva

Yamala-Arjuna Līlā Prelude and Culmination

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

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

此身究竟属谁——属供养者,属自己,属父亲、母亲或外祖父?属强夺者,属买下的主人,或属将其投入火中焚化的儿子们?若不焚化,便属啖食其尸的犬类么?诸多主张之中,谁才是真正的所有者?不明此理而以罪业维持此身,实非善事。

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’
and
:
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’
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.