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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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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.40.12

Who is speaking and story frame

तुभ्यं नमस्ते त्वविषक्तद‍ृष्टये

सर्वात्मने सर्वधियां च साक्षिणे ।

गुणप्रवाहोऽयमविद्यया कृत:

प्रवर्तते देवनृतिर्यगात्मसु ॥ १२ ॥

tubhyaṁ namas te tv aviṣakta-dṛṣṭaye

sarvātmane sarva-dhiyāṁ ca sākṣiṇe

guṇa-pravāho ’yam avidyayā kṛtaḥ

pravartate deva-nṛ-tiryag-ātmasu

Translation

I offer My obeisances to You, who as the Supreme Soul of all beings witness everyone’s consciousness with unbiased vision. The current of Your material modes, produced by the force of ignorance, flows strongly among the living beings who assume identities as demigods, humans and animals.

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.

The Supreme Soul Witnesses Without Bias

  1. 1

    The Lord is the Supreme Soul of all beings and witnesses everyone’s consciousness.

  2. 2

    His vision is unbiased, even as the material modes flow strongly among living beings.

  3. 3

    Produced by the force of ignorance, this current flows among beings who assume identities as demigods, humans and animals.

How it feels

Anxiety and conflict → Liberation and joy. Heroic victory is complicated by separation from Vraja.

Chapters 39–45 of Canto 10: Mathurā, Kaṁsa and reunion with parents. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 40: The Prayers of Akrūra

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Similarly, living beings caught in the grip of ignorance abandon Lord Viṣṇu and become attached to their bodies, homes and so on. Such faithful servants of their senses cannot take shelter of the Supreme Lord’s lotus feet.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.40
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tubhyamto You
  2. namaḥobeisances
  3. teYour
  4. tuand
  5. aviṣaktaaloof
  6. dṛṣṭayewhose vision
  7. sarva-ātmaneto the Soul of all
  8. sarvaof everyone
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Āśraya · The summum bonum

    Who is the shelter of everything? · Subject 10 of 10

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.40

    In this verse: “material”

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

What does the Lord’s unbiased awareness of my consciousness invite me to examine?

Practice

Offer a brief prayer of respect to the Supreme Soul, who witnesses your consciousness.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Supreme Soul Witnesses Without BiasThis 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 10.40.12? Get an answer from the verses themselves.