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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

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.

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Canto 11 · Chapter 22: Enumeration of the Elements of Material Creation

11.22.31 11.22.33

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.22.32

Sarga· Creation

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 11.22.29inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

एवं त्वगादि श्रवणादि चक्षु\- ।

र्जिह्वादि नासादि च चित्तयुक्तम् ॥ ३२ ॥

evaṁ tvag-ādi śravaṇādi cakṣur

jihvādi nāsādi ca citta-yuktam

Translation

Similarly, the sense organs, namely the skin, ears, eyes, tongue and nose — as well as the functions of the subtle body, namely conditioned consciousness, mind, intelligence and false ego — can all be analyzed in terms of the threefold distinction of sense, object of perception and presiding deity.

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.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Spiritual Perception Goes Beyond Material Categories

1
The senses and subtle bodily functions can be analyzed through three categories: the sense, its object and its presiding deity.
2
The individual soul has no permanent relationship with these interdependent material functions. Originally pure spirit, the soul is meant to depend on the Personality of Godhead in the spiritual world.
3
Matter and spirit belong to different potencies of the Supreme Lord and cannot be understood within the same categories. Perceiving the Lord, His abode and one's own self is a spiritual process realized in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Key points from the purport

The individual soul has no permanent relationship with the inter- dependent material functions of the senses, sense objects and controlling deities.
The living entity is originally pure spirit soul and is meant to depend on the Personality of Godhead in the spiritual world.
Thus the act of spiritually perceiving the Supreme Lord, His abode and one’s own self is an entirely antimaterial process realized within pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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

Chapter 22: Enumeration of the Elements of Material Creation

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The twenty-five elements of nature are the Lord, nature, the mahat, false ego, ether, air, fire, water, earth, the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the skin, speech, the hands, the feet, the genitals, the anus, the mind, sound, touch, form, taste and smell. The unmanifest Supreme Personality merely glances at nature.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 11.22

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

evamin the same way
tvak-ādithe skin, the sensation of touch and the demigod of the wind, Vāyu
śravaṇa-ādithe ears, the sensation of sound and the demigods of the directions
cakṣuḥthe eyes (described in the previous verse)
jihvā-adithe tongue, the sensation of taste and the god of water, Varuṇa
nāsa-ādithe nose, the sensation of smell and the Aśvinī-kumāras
caalso
citta-yuktamalong with consciousness (implying not only conditioned consciousness together with the object of that consciousness and the presiding Deity Vāsudeva, but also the mind together with the object of thought and the moon-god Candra, intelligence with the object of intelligence and Lord Brahmā, and false ego together with the identification of false ego and Lord Rudra)

Key ideas in this verse

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

Sarga · The creation of the universe
Where does the universe come from? · Subject 1 of 10
Dainya · Humility
Ego yields to insight, service and surrender. · Theme in SB 11.22
In this verse: “false ego”
Moha · Material attachment
The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 11.22
In this verse: “material”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Am I trying to understand my spiritual self only through material senses and mental functions?

Practice

Take a quiet minute to express your wish to depend on the Personality of Godhead and deepen your Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Live this todaySpiritual Perception Goes Beyond Material CategoriesThis 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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