FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.16.19

नागेन्द्राणामनन्तोऽहं मृगेन्द्र: श‍ृङ्गिदंष्ट्रिणाम् । आश्रमाणामहं तुर्यो वर्णानां प्रथमोऽनघ ॥ १९ ॥
nāgendrāṇām ananto ’haṁ
[naagendraanaam ananto ’ham]
mṛgendraḥ śṛṅgi-daṁṣṭriṇām
[mrigendrah shringi-damshtrinaam]
āśramāṇām ahaṁ turyo
[aashramaanaam aham turyo]
varṇānāṁ prathamo ’nagha
[varnaanaam prathamo ’nagha]
Word-for-word
nāga-indrāṇām — among the best of many-hooded snakes anantaḥ — Anantadeva aham — I am mṛga-indraḥ — the lion śṛṅgi-daṁṣṭriṇām — among animals with sharp horns or teeth āśramāṇām — among the four social orders of life aham — I am turyaḥ — the fourth, sannyāsa varṇānām — among the four occupational orders prathamaḥ — the first, the brāhmaṇas anagha — O sinless one.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
nāgendrāṇām ananto ’haṁ
nāga-indrāṇām
among the best of many-hooded snakes
anantaḥ
Anantadeva
mṛgendraḥ śṛṅgi-daṁṣṭriṇām
aham
I am
mṛga-indraḥ
the lion
śṛṅgi-daṁṣṭriṇām
among animals with sharp horns or teeth
āśramāṇām ahaṁ turyo
āśramāṇām
among the four social orders of life
aham
I am
turyaḥ
the fourth, sannyāsa
varṇānāṁ prathamo ’nagha
varṇānām
among the four occupational orders
prathamaḥ
the first, the brāhmaṇas
anagha
O sinless one.
O sinless Uddhava, among the best of snakes I am Anantadeva, and among those animals with sharp horns or teeth I am the lion. Among the social orders I am the fourth, or the renounced order of life, and among the occupational divisions I am the first, the brāhmaṇas.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O sinless Uddhava! Among the best of snakes, I am Anantadeva, and among those animals with sharp horns, I am the black deer. Among animals with teeth, I am the lion. Among the āśramas, I am sannyāsa, and among the varṇas, I am the brāhmaṇa. Among animals with horns I am the black deer, and among animals with teeth I am the lion. The fourth āśrama is sannyāsa. The first varṇa is brāhmaṇa.
Personal Guidance
Among best snakes Anantadeva, among horned/toothed animals the lion, among āśramas sannyāsa, among varṇas brāhmaṇas. The Lord names a hierarchy and locates Himself at its top.
Reflection Questions
  • When I think of social roles, do I see the Lord at the top of each, or do I rank by status alone?
  • How does this widen my respect?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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