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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
11.22.5311.22.56

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 11.22.54-55

Mukti· Liberation

यथाम्भसा प्रचलता तरवोऽपि चला इव ।

चक्षुषा भ्राम्यमाणेन द‍ृश्यते भ्रमतीव भू: ॥ ५४ ॥

यथा मनोरथधियो विषयानुभवो मृषा ।

स्वप्नद‍ृष्टाश्च दाशार्ह तथा संसार आत्मन: ॥ ५५ ॥

yathāmbhasā pracalatā

taravo ’pi calā iva

cakṣuṣā bhrāmyamāṇena

dṛśyate bhramatīva bhūḥ

yathā manoratha-dhiyo

viṣayānubhavo mṛṣā

svapna-dṛṣṭāś ca dāśārha

tathā saṁsāra ātmanaḥ

Translation

The soul’s material life, his experience of sense gratification, is actually false, O descendant of Daśārha, just like trees’ appearance of quivering when the trees are reflected in agitated water, or like the earth’s appearance of spinning due to one’s spinning his eyes around, or like the world of a fantasy or dream.

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.

Do Not Mistake Bodily Movement for Yourself

  1. 1

    Trees reflected in agitated water appear to move. Similarly, the soul’s material life and experience of sense gratification are false appearances.

  2. 2

    The material body is moved by the modes of nature, with the consent of the illusioned living entity. The conditioned soul mistakes this external movement for his own activity.

  3. 3

    One thinks oneself to be dancing, running, dying or conquering. These activities are interactions of the external body with the modes of nature.

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.