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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
11.16.4111.16.43

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.16.42

Mukti· Liberation
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

वाचं यच्छ मनो यच्छ प्राणान् यच्छेन्द्रियाणि च ।

आत्मानमात्मना यच्छ न भूय: कल्पसेऽध्वने ॥ ४२ ॥

vācaṁ yaccha mano yaccha

prāṇān yacchedriyāṇi ca

ātmānam ātmanā yaccha

na bhūyaḥ kalpase ’dhvane

Translation

Therefore, control your speaking, subdue the mind, conquer the life air, regulate the senses and through purified intelligence bring your rational faculties under control. In this way you will never again fall onto the path of material existence.

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.

Control Yourself and Respect the Lord’s Creation

  1. 1

    The Lord instructs us to control speech, mind, life air, senses and reasoning through purified intelligence. Everything should be seen as an expansion of His potency and treated with respect.

  2. 2

    Since everything belongs to the Lord, everything should ultimately be engaged in His service with great care. A self-realized devotee tolerates personal insult, envies no living entity and sees no one as an enemy.

  3. 3

    A pure devotee’s criticism serves the Lord’s mission, never personal enmity or envy. One who completely gives up the material concept of life does not return to the path of birth and death.

Key points from the purport
  • One should see all things as expansions of the Supreme Lord’s potency, and thus with speech, mind and senses one should offer respect to all things, without minimizing any living entity or material object.
  • An advanced devotee of the Lord may chastise his followers or criticize the demoniac, but only to carry out the mission of the Supreme Lord and never out of personal enmity or enviousness.
  • For one who completely gives up the material concept of life there is no possibility of entering again onto the path of birth and death.

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. vācamspeech
  2. yacchacontrol
  3. manaḥthe mind
  4. yacchacontrol
  5. prāṇānyour breathing
  6. yacchacontrol
  7. indriyāṇithe senses
  8. caalso
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

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 11.16

    In this verse: “purified”

  • Moha · Material attachment

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

    In this verse: “material”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 11.16

    In this verse: “devotee”

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 would remembering that everything belongs to the Lord change my response to someone who insults me?

Practice

Before replying to one irritating remark today, pause and choose words free from personal hostility.

Live this todayControl Yourself and Respect the Lord’s CreationThis 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 11.16.42? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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