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

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Canto 11 · General History · 31 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 ›
Canto 11 · Chapter 10: The Nature of Fruitive Activity
11.10.2211.10.24

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.10.23

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 11.10.1inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

इष्ट्वेह देवता यज्ञै: स्वर्लोकं याति याज्ञिक: ।

भुञ्जीत देववत्तत्र भोगान् दिव्यान् निजार्जितान् ॥ २३ ॥

iṣṭveha devatā yajñaiḥ

svar-lokaṁ yāti yājñikaḥ

bhuñjīta deva-vat tatra

bhogān divyān nijārjitān

Translation

If on earth one performs sacrifices for the satisfaction of the demigods, he goes to the heavenly planets, where, just like a demigod, he enjoys all of the heavenly pleasures he has earned by his performances.

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.

Sacrifice Earns Heavenly Enjoyment

  1. 1

    A person may perform sacrifices on earth for the satisfaction of the demigods.

  2. 2

    Through these sacrifices, the performer reaches the heavenly planets and enjoys pleasures like a demigod.

  3. 3

    These celestial pleasures are earned through the performer’s own sacrifices. The verse describes enjoyment as the fruit of such activity.

How it feels

Uncertainty → Clarity. The coming separation makes the instruction personally urgent.

Chapters 10–20 of Canto 11: Kṛṣṇa's teachings on self, yoga and wisdom. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 10: The Nature of Fruitive Activity

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The pleasures of heaven and other destinations, which are achieved by sacrificial rituals, can be experienced for only a short time. After one’s enjoyment is finished, one must return to this mortal sphere to partake of lamentation and suffering.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.10
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. iṣṭvāhaving worshiped
  2. ihain this world
  3. devatāḥthe demigods
  4. yajñaiḥwith sacrifices
  5. svaḥ-lokamto the heavenly planets
  6. yātigoes
  7. yājñikaḥthe performer of sacrifice
  8. bhuñjītahe may enjoy
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

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

How much of my religious effort is motivated by the wish to enjoy its rewards?

Practice

Examine one religious activity you perform and identify whether you are expecting enjoyment in return.

Live this todaySacrifice Earns Heavenly EnjoymentThis 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 11.10.23? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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