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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

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Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
  3. 3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
  4. 4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
  5. 5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
  6. 6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›
Canto 10 · Chapter 23: The Brāhmaṇas’ Wives Blessed
10.23.4010.23.42

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.23.41

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The brāhmaṇassince 10.23.40inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

नूनं भगवतो माया योगिनामपि मोहिनी ।

यद् वयं गुरवो नृणां स्वार्थे मुह्यामहे द्विजा: ॥ ४१ ॥

nūnaṁ bhagavato māyā

yoginām api mohinī

yad vayaṁ guravo nṛṇāṁ

svārthe muhyāmahe dvijāḥ

Translation

The illusory potency of the Supreme Lord certainly bewilders even the great mystics, what to speak of us. As brāhmaṇas we are supposed to be the spiritual masters of all classes of men, yet we have been bewildered about our own real interest.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Spiritual Standing Does Not Prevent Bewilderment

  1. 1

    The Supreme Lord’s illusory potency can bewilder even great mystics.

  2. 2

    The brāhmaṇas acknowledged that they too had been bewildered, although they were supposed to be spiritual masters of society.

  3. 3

    Their bewilderment concerned their own real interest. Their position as teachers had not protected them from this confusion.

How it feels

Attraction and threat → Joy and trust. The pastoral world becomes the setting for protection and love.

Chapters 20–28 of Canto 10: Forest seasons, flute and Govardhana. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 23: The Brāhmaṇas’ Wives Blessed

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

“Since Lord Kṛṣṇa’s every desire is completely fulfilled, His begging for food was simply an act of mercy toward us brāhmaṇas. All the fruits of Vedic sacrifice — and indeed all things on earth — are His opulences, yet out of ignorance we could not appreciate this fact.”
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.23
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. nūnamindeed
  2. bhagavataḥof the Supreme Lord
  3. māyāthe illusory potency
  4. yogināmfor great mystics
  5. apieven
  6. mohinīis bewildering
  7. yatsince
  8. vayamwe
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

  • Rakṣā · Divine protection

    Protection of devotees through the Lord’s intervention. · Theme in SB 10.23

    In this verse: “protected”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Where might confidence in my knowledge keep me from noticing spiritual confusion?

Practice

Take a quiet minute to examine whether one priority today supports your real spiritual interest.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySpiritual Standing Does Not Prevent BewildermentThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 10.23.41? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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