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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.16.41

Who is speaking and story frame

एतास्ते कीर्तिता: सर्वा: सङ्‍क्षेपेण विभूतय: ।

मनोविकारा एवैते यथा वाचाभिधीयते ॥ ४१ ॥

etās te kīrtitāḥ sarvāḥ

saṅkṣepeṇa vibhūtayaḥ

mano-vikārā evaite

yathā vācābhidhīyate

Translation

I have briefly described to you all My spiritual opulences and also the extraordinary material features of My creation, which are perceived by the mind and defined in different ways according to circumstances.

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.

See Kṛṣṇa as the Source of Opulence

  1. 1

    The Lord’s spiritual manifestations, such as Vāsudeva and Nārāyaṇa, are eternal and unchanging. Extraordinary material features reflect His opulences but do not have the same status as His full personal manifestations.

  2. 2

    People describe material opulences according to their circumstances and states of mind. In doing so, they often forget that every living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that all talents are His potencies.

  3. 3

    By seeing Lord Kṛṣṇa as the source of all opulences and giving up desires to enjoy or possess them, one can see their spiritual nature. One can then become perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness while still perceiving the world’s variety.

Key points from the purport
  • Similarly, the opulent features of material creation are reflected expansions of the Lord’s personal opulences and thus may be considered nondifferent from Him.
  • One should not, however, wrongly assume that such insignificant material opulences occupy the same status as the Lord’s plenary features as the Personality of Godhead, which are qualitatively and quantitatively equal to the Lord.
  • According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the word vācā also indicates the various Vedic literatures that describe the particular processes by which the Lord manifests His spiritual and material opulences, and in this context yathā indicates the specific procedures of manifestation and creation.

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 16: The Lord’s Opulence

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Material opulences are not substantially true, and therefore one should not become too involved in meditating upon them. The pure devotees of the Supreme Lord utilize their intelligence to properly regulate the activities of their speech, mind and vital force and thus perfect their existence in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.16
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. etāḥthese
  2. teto you
  3. kīrtitāḥdescribed
  4. sarvāḥall
  5. saṅkṣepeṇabriefly
  6. vibhūtayaḥspiritual opulences
  7. manaḥof the mind
  8. vikārāḥtransformations
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

  • Moha · Material attachment

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

    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

Which talent or possession do I tend to see as mine rather than as Kṛṣṇa’s potency?

Practice

Notice one outstanding talent in someone today and consciously acknowledge Kṛṣṇa as its source, without wishing to possess or enjoy it.

5

Connected stories

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

Live this todaySee Kṛṣṇa as the Source of OpulenceThis 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 11.16.41? Get an answer from the verses themselves.