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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 12: Beyond Renunciation and Knowledge
11.12.22-2311.13.1

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.12.24

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 11.12.17inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

एवं गुरूपासनयैकभक्त्या

विद्याकुठारेण शितेन धीर: ।

विवृश्‍च्‍य जीवाशयमप्रमत्त:

सम्पद्य चात्मानमथ त्यजास्त्रम् ॥ २४ ॥

evaṁ gurūpāsanayaika-bhaktyā

vidyā-kuṭhāreṇa śitena dhīraḥ

vivṛścya jīvāśayam apramattaḥ

sampadya cātmānam atha tyajāstram

Translation

With steady intelligence you should develop unalloyed devotional service by careful worship of the spiritual master, and with the sharpened ax of transcendental knowledge you should cut off the subtle material covering of the soul. Upon realizing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you should then give up that ax of analytic knowledge.

Read the purport on Vedabase.io

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.

Knowledge Serves the Goal of Pure Devotion

  1. 1

    By carefully worshiping a bona fide spiritual master with steady intelligence, one can develop pure devotional service. The instruction to give something up does not mean abandoning devotional service or the spiritual master.

  2. 2

    One should understand that every aspect of material creation is an expansion of the Lord’s illusory potency. This knowledge acts like a sharpened ax, cutting the roots of material existence and even the subtle material covering of the soul.

  3. 3

    Upon realizing Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one should give up the ax of analytic knowledge rather than endlessly study the illusory creation. The goal is selfless love and eternal bliss in the Lord’s service.

Key points from the purport
  • Rather, it is clearly stated by the words vidyā-kuṭhāreṇa that one should cultivate knowledge of the material world as described by Lord Kṛṣṇa in this chapter.
  • Lord Kṛṣṇa has elaborately analyzed the nature of the material world so that the conditioned souls, who are trying to enjoy it, can cut down the tree of material existence with this knowledge.
  • Lord Kṛṣṇa therefore tells Uddhava, tyajāstram: “Give up the ax of analytic knowledge by which you have cut down your sense of proprietorship and residence in the material world.”

The purport's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

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 12: Beyond Renunciation and Knowledge

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

This is the incomparable excellence of the gopīs’ pure love of God. The Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, after imparting these instructions to Uddhava, advised that for the sake of attaining the Absolute Truth, Uddhava should give up all consideration of religion and irreligion as promulgated in the śrutis and smṛtis and instead take shelter of the example of the women of Vṛndāvana.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.12
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. evamthus (with the knowledge I have given you)
  2. guruof the spiritual master
  3. upāsanayādeveloped by worship
  4. ekaunalloyed
  5. bhaktyāby loving devotional service
  6. vidyāof knowledge
  7. kuṭhāreṇaby the ax
  8. śitenasharp
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 11.12

    In this verse: “devotional service”, “worship”, “worshiping”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 11.12

    In this verse: “knowledge”, “understand”

  • Vairāgya · Freedom from attachment

    Release from possessiveness and false identities. · Theme in SB 11.12

    In this verse: “give up”

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

Is my study helping me loosen my sense of ownership in this world and deepen my desire to serve Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Today, pause over one thing you think of as “mine.” Reflect that it belongs to the Lord’s material creation, and turn your attention toward how you can serve Kṛṣṇa.

Live this todayKnowledge Serves the Goal of Pure DevotionThis 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.

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