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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.
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Canto 11 · Chapter 21: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Explanation of the Vedic Path
11.21.2311.21.25

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.21.24

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 11.21.1inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

उत्पत्त्यैव हि कामेषु प्राणेषु स्वजनेषु च ।

आसक्तमनसो मर्त्या आत्मनोऽनर्थहेतुषु ॥ २४ ॥

utpattyaiva hi kāmeṣu

prāṇeṣu sva-janeṣu ca

āsakta-manaso martyā

ātmano ’nartha-hetuṣu

Translation

Simply by material birth, human beings become attached within their minds to personal sense gratification, long duration of life, sense activities, bodily strength, sexual potency and friends and family. Their minds are thus absorbed in that which defeats their actual self-interest.

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.

Bodily Attachment Defeats Our Real Interest

  1. 1

    Material birth brings attachment to sense gratification, bodily powers, long life, friends and family. These attachments absorb the mind in things that defeat our actual self-interest.

  2. 2

    Attachment to our body and the bodies of others leads to anxiety and suffering. A mind absorbed in bodily identity cannot advance in self-realization.

  3. 3

    The conditioned soul dreams of a world separate from God. Actual progress comes through Kṛṣṇa consciousness, recognizing the Lord as the supreme enjoyer and Lord of all worlds.

Key points from the purport
  • Our attachment to the material body and the bodies of family and friends inevitably leads to unbearable anxiety and suffering.
  • The mind absorbed in the bodily concept of life cannot possibly advance in self-realization, and thus one’s hope for an eternal life of bliss and knowledge is defeated by the objects of one’s so-called affection.
  • Only by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, recognition of the supremacy of God, can one make actual progress in life.

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

Striving → Complete devotional trust. The Lord redirects Uddhava toward enduring loving service.

Chapters 21–29 of Canto 11: Spiritual practice culminating in bhakti-yoga. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 21: Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Explanation of the Vedic Path

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

They are inimical to Lord Kṛṣṇa, attached to sense gratification, and are dominated by fruitive activities aimed at fulfillment of material desires. This chapter describes their faults in terms of place, time, substance and beneficiary of actions.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.21
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. utpattyā evasimply by birth
  2. hiindeed
  3. kāmeṣuin objects of selfish desires
  4. prāṇeṣuin vital functions (such as one’s duration of life, sense activities, physical strength and sexual potency)
  5. sva-janeṣuin his family members
  6. caand
  7. āsakta-manasaḥhaving become attached within the mind
  8. martyāḥmortal human beings
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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 11.21

    In this verse: “attached”, “sense gratification”, “material”

  • Sakhya · Sacred friendship

    The affection of companions and friends of the Lord. · Theme in SB 11.21

    In this verse: “friends”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 11.21

    In this verse: “suffering”

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 bodily attachment most often draws my attention away from self-realization?

Practice

When one bodily worry arises today, pause and remember that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer and Lord of all worlds.

Live this todayBodily Attachment Defeats Our Real InterestThis 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 11.21.24? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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