1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

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

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.49.25

Who is speaking and story frame

तस्माल्ल‍ोकमिमं राजन् स्वप्नमायामनोरथम् ।

वीक्ष्यायम्यात्मनात्मानं सम: शान्तो भव प्रभो ॥ २५ ॥

tasmāl lokam imaṁ rājan

svapna-māyā-manoratham

vīkṣyāyamyātmanātmānaṁ

samaḥ śānto bhava prabho

Translation

Therefore, O King, looking upon this world as a dream, a magician’s illusion or a flight of fancy, please control your mind with intelligence and become equipoised and peaceful, my lord.

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.

Guide the Mind Toward Peace

  1. 1

    Akrūra asks the King to look upon this world as a dream, a magician's illusion or a flight of fancy.

  2. 2

    He advises the King to control the mind with intelligence rather than let it wander unchecked.

  3. 3

    The instruction is to become equipoised and peaceful. A balanced mind need not be carried away by the world's shifting appearances.

How it feels

Heartache → Unbroken remembrance. Love endures and deepens despite visible absence.

Chapters 46–49 of Canto 10: Uddhava, the gopīs and the Song of the Bee. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 49: Akrūra’s Mission in Hastināpura

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

One should therefore learn to understand the unsteadiness of material existence, which is like a sleeper’s dream, a magician’s illusion or a flight of fancy, and should thus control his mind in order to remain peaceful and equipoised.” To this Dhṛtarāṣṭra replied, “I cannot hear enough of your beneficial words, O Akrūra, which are like the sweet nectar of immortality.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.49
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tasmāttherefore
  2. lokamworld
  3. imamthis
  4. rājanO King
  5. svapnaas a dream
  6. māyāa magic trick
  7. manaḥ-rathamor a fantasy in the mind
  8. vīkṣyaseeing
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 10.49

    In this verse: “illusion”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 10.49

    In this verse: “king”

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

Which concern is carrying my mind away from balance and peace?

Practice

Pause over one troubling concern today, consider its dreamlike nature, and use intelligence to choose a calm response.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayGuide the Mind Toward PeaceThis 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 10.49.25? Get an answer from the verses themselves.