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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 16: The Lord’s Opulence
11.16.2311.16.25

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.16.24

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 11.16.6inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

योगानामात्मसंरोधो मन्त्रोऽस्मि विजिगीषताम् ।

आन्वीक्षिकी कौशलानां विकल्प: ख्यातिवादिनाम् ॥ २४ ॥

yogānām ātma-saṁrodho

mantro ’smi vijigīṣatām

ānvīkṣikī kauśalānāṁ

vikalpaḥ khyāti-vādinām

Translation

Among the eight progressive states of yoga I am the final stage, samādhi, in which the soul is completely separated from illusion. Among those desiring victory I am prudent political counsel, and among processes of expert discrimination I am the science of the soul, by which one distinguishes spirit from matter. Among all speculative philosophers I am diversity of perception.

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.

Perfect Knowledge Comes From Hearing Kṛṣṇa

  1. 1

    The Lord represents samādhi, in which the soul is completely separated from illusion. The highest discrimination distinguishes spirit from matter and understands their interaction.

  2. 2

    The Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated in everyone’s heart and awards knowledge or ignorance according to desire and merit. Differing modes of perception give rise to many philosophical speculations.

  3. 3

    Perfect knowledge comes only by hearing directly from Lord Kṛṣṇa. Conditioned philosophers perceive His creation imperfectly through the screen of their personal desires.

Key points from the purport
  • Any science is based on the faculty of expert discrimination.
  • Ultimately the most intelligent person can isolate the spirit soul from matter and describe the properties of matter and spirit as both isolated and interactive components of reality.
  • Thus the Lord Himself is the basis of the mundane process of philosophical speculation, for He creates differing and alternating modes of perception within the conditioned souls.

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

Connected verses· 1

The purport of SB 11.16.24 quotesBG 15.15

As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15), sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: the Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated in everyone’s heart and awards a particular degree of knowledge or ignorance according to one’s desire and merit.

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

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 16: The Lord’s Opulence

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

He is the soul of all beings, and by secretly taking up residence within all living bodies He sees everything. The conditioned souls, on the other hand, are bewildered by His external energy and thus are unable to see Him.”
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.16
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. yogānāmamong the eight stages of yoga practice ( aṣṭāṅga)
  2. ātma-saṁrodhaḥthe ultimate stage, samādhi, in which the soul is completely separated from illusion
  3. mantraḥprudent political counsel
  4. asmiI am
  5. vijigīṣatāmamong those desiring victory
  6. ānvīkṣikīspiritual science, by which one can distinguish between matter and spirit
  7. kauśalānāmamong all processes of expert discrimination
  8. vikalpaḥdiversity of perception
  9. khyāti-vādināmamong the speculative philosophers
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Āśraya · The summum bonum

    Who is the shelter of everything? · Subject 10 of 10

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 11.16

    In this verse: “philosophers”, “knowledge”, “philosophical”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 11.16

    In this verse: “illusion”

  • Viraha · Longing in separation

    Love and remembrance experienced in apparent absence. · Theme in SB 11.16

    In this verse: “separated”

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 might my personal desires affect the way I understand spiritual teachings?

Practice

Reread the Lord’s words in this verse and write down what they say about distinguishing spirit from matter.

Live this todayPerfect Knowledge Comes From Hearing KṛṣṇaThis 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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