brūhi yogeśvare kṛṣṇe
brahmaṇye dharma-varmaṇi
svÄá¹ kÄá¹£á¹hÄm adhunopete
dharmaḥ kaṠśaraṇaṠgataḥ
brÅ«hi - kindly explain; yoga-Ä«Å›vare - the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all mystic power; kṛṣṇe - Lord Kṛṣṇa; brahmaṇye - the protector of brahminical culture; dharma-varmaṇi - the strong arms of religious principles; svÄm - His own; kÄá¹£á¹hÄm - to the personal abode; adhunÄ - at present; upete - having returned; dharmaḥ - the religious principles; kam - unto what; Å›araṇam - shelter; gataḥ - have gone.
“ ‘Now that Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth, the master of all mystic powers, has departed for His own abode, please tell us by whom religious principles are presently protected.’
This verse from ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (1.1.23) was a question raised by all the sages, who were headed by Åšaunaka. This question put before the great devotee SÅ«ta GosvÄmÄ« is the foremost of the six questions raised. The answer to this important question is given in the next verse, also from ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (1.3.43).
