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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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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 11 · Chapter 13: The Haṁsa-avatāra Answers the Questions of the Sons of Brahmā
11.13.311.13.5

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.13.4

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 11.13.1inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

आगमोऽप: प्रजा देश: काल: कर्म च जन्म च ।

ध्यानं मन्त्रोऽथ संस्कारो दशैते गुणहेतव: ॥ ४ ॥

āgamo ’paḥ prajā deśaḥ

kālaḥ karma ca janma ca

dhyānaṁ mantro ’tha saṁskāro

daśaite guṇa-hetavaḥ

Translation

According to the quality of religious scriptures, water, one’s association with one’s children or with people in general, the particular place, the time, activities, birth, meditation, chanting of mantras, and purificatory rituals, the modes of nature become differently prominent.

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.

Choose Influences That Strengthen Goodness

  1. 1

    Scriptures, water, association, place and time influence which modes become prominent. Activities, birth, meditation, mantra chanting and purificatory rituals also have this influence.

  2. 2

    These ten items have superior and inferior qualities and may be in goodness, passion or ignorance.

  3. 3

    Selecting scriptures in goodness, pure water and friendship with people in goodness increases goodness. One should carefully avoid influences polluted by inferior modes.

Key points from the purport
  • The ten items mentioned above possess superior and inferior qualities and are thus identified as being in goodness, passion or ignorance.
  • One can increase the mode of goodness by selecting religious scriptures in goodness, pure water, friendship with other persons in goodness, and so on.
  • One should scrupulously avoid any of these ten items that may be polluted by an inferior mode of nature.

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 13: The Haṁsa-avatāra Answers the Questions of the Sons of Brahmā

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The three modes increase their different influences through various types of scripture, water, place, time, beneficiaries of activity, natures of activity, birth, meditation, mantras, purificatory rituals, and so on. Lacking discrimination, one identifies with the material body, and consequently the mode of passion, which produces misery, takes over the mind, which is normally in the mode of goodness.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.13
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. āgamaḥreligious scriptures
  2. apaḥwater
  3. prajāḥassociation with people in general or one’s children
  4. deśaḥplace
  5. kālaḥtime
  6. karmaactivities
  7. caalso
  8. janmabirth
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

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 11.13

    In this verse: “purificatory”

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 11.13

    In this verse: “chanting”

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 11.13

    In this verse: “religious”

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 of my daily influences most needs to change toward goodness?

Practice

Choose pure water today and consciously consider how this simple choice supports goodness.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayChoose Influences That Strengthen GoodnessThis 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 11.13.4? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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