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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 22: Enumeration of the Elements of Material Creation
11.22.3711.22.39

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.22.38

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Kṛṣṇasince 11.22.37inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

ध्यायन् मनोऽनु विषयान् द‍ृष्टान् वानुश्रुतानथ ।

उद्यत् सीदत् कर्मतन्त्रं स्मृतिस्तदनु शाम्यति ॥ ३८ ॥

dhyāyan mano ’nu viṣayān

dṛṣṭān vānuśrutān atha

udyat sīdat karma-tantraṁ

smṛtis tad anu śāmyati

Translation

The mind, bound to the reactions of fruitive work, always meditates on the objects of the senses, both those that are seen in this world and those that are heard about from Vedic authority. Consequently, the mind appears to come into being and to suffer annihilation along with its objects of perception, and thus its ability to distinguish past and future is lost.

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.

Material Absorption Obscures Our Eternal Relationship

  1. 1

    Bound by reactions to fruitive work, the mind meditates on sense objects seen in this world or heard about from Vedic authority.

  2. 2

    At death, the mind leaves its familiar objects and enters another body to experience new ones. Although a new mind seems to arise, the same mind is experiencing differently.

  3. 3

    The constant flow of material experience overwhelms the conditioned soul and obscures remembrance of his relationship with God. Identification with this world brings forgetfulness of eternal identity and surrender to the false ego created by māyā.

Key points from the purport
  • One may ask how the subtle body, or mind, gives up its connection with one physical body and enters another.
  • As death occurs, the mind is pulled away from the objects of its immediate experience and enters another body to experience a new set of sense objects.
  • The conditioned soul is overwhelmed by the constant flow of material experience consisting of direct perception and abstract contemplation of the objects of this world.

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 22: Enumeration of the Elements of Material Creation

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The mind, which is filled with ideas of fruitive work, simply takes the senses with it from one body to another, while the soul follows along. Nevertheless, on account of being totally absorbed in sense gratification, one cannot remember his past existence.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.22
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. dhyāyatmeditating
  2. manaḥthe mind
  3. anuregularly
  4. viṣayānon the sense objects
  5. dṛṣṭānseen
  6. vāor
  7. anuśrutānheard from Vedic authority
  8. athasubsequently
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

  • Kīrtana · Hearing and chanting

    Remembering the Lord through sacred sound. · Theme in SB 11.22

    In this verse: “heard”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 11.22

    In this verse: “māyā”, “material”

  • Dainya · Humility

    Ego yields to insight, service and surrender. · Theme in SB 11.22

    In this verse: “false ego”

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 recurring material thoughts distract me from remembering my relationship with God?

Practice

Interrupt one material daydream today and spend a quiet moment remembering your eternal relationship with God.

Live this todayMaterial Absorption Obscures Our Eternal RelationshipThis 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 11.22.38? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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