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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 15: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Description of Mystic Yoga Perfections
11.15.2311.15.25

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.15.24

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 11.15.3inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

पार्ष्ण्यापीड्य गुदं प्राणं हृदुर:कण्ठमूर्धसु ।

आरोप्य ब्रह्मरन्ध्रेण ब्रह्म नीत्वोत्सृजेत्तनुम् ॥ २४ ॥

pārṣṇyāpīḍya gudaṁ prāṇaṁ

hṛd-uraḥ-kaṇṭha-mūrdhasu

āropya brahma-randhreṇa

brahma nītvotsṛjet tanum

Translation

The yogī who has achieved the mystic perfection called svacchanda-mṛtyu blocks the anus with the heel of the foot and then lifts the soul from the heart to the chest, to the neck and finally to the head. Situated within the brahma-randhra, the yogī then gives up his material body and guides the spirit soul to the selected destination.

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.

The Yogī Chooses His Destination

  1. 1

    The perfection called svacchanda-mṛtyu allows an accomplished yogī to leave his material body at will and guide the soul to a selected destination.

  2. 2

    Bhīṣmadeva wonderfully exhibited this mystic opulence at the end of the Battle of Kurukṣetra.

  3. 3

    Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that brahma here indicates various possible destinations. These include the spiritual sky, the impersonal brahmajyoti or another destination attracting the yogī’s mind.

Key points from the purport
  • This mystic opulence of svacchandu-mṛtyu, or dying at will, was wonderfully exhibited by Bhīṣmadeva at the end of the Battle of Kurukṣetra.
  • According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the term brahma, as used in this verse, is an example of upalakṣaṇa, or the use of a general term to indicate various concepts.
  • Brahma here indicates the particular destination selected by the yogī, namely the spiritual sky, the impersonal brahmajyoti or any other destination that has attracted the yogī’s mind.

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 15: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Description of Mystic Yoga Perfections

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Being questioned by Uddhava, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa describes the characteristics of the eighteen mystic perfections and the particular kind of meditation by which each is achieved. In conclusion, Kṛṣṇa states that for one who desires to perform pure devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, the achievement of these mystic perfections is a waste of time, because they distract one from proper worship.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.15
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. pārṣṇyāwith the heel of the foot
  2. āpīḍyablocking
  3. gudamthe anus
  4. prāṇamthe vital air carrying the living entity
  5. hṛtfrom the heart
  6. uraḥto the chest
  7. kaṇṭhato the neck
  8. mūrdhasuand to the head
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

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 11.15

    In this verse: “spirit soul”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 11.15

    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 destination attracts my mind when I think about life beyond the material body?

Practice

Write one sentence reflecting on the distinction between the spirit soul and the material body.

5

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 11.15's connections

Live this todayThe Yogī Chooses His DestinationThis 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 11.15.24? Get an answer from the verses themselves.