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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 23: The Song of the Avantī Brāhmaṇa
11.23.4111.23.43

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.23.42

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The brāhmaṇasince 11.23.42inside 4 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → UddhavaThe Avantī brāhmaṇa → himself

द्विज उवाच

नायं जनो मे सुखदु:खहेतु-

र्न देवतात्मा ग्रहकर्मकाला: ।

मन: परं कारणमामनन्ति

संसारचक्रं परिवर्तयेद् यत् ॥ ४२ ॥

dvija uvāca

nāyaṁ jano me sukha-duḥkha-hetur

na devatātmā graha-karma-kālāḥ

manaḥ paraṁ kāraṇam āmananti

saṁsāra-cakraṁ parivartayed yat

Translation

The brāhmaṇa said: These people are not the cause of my happiness and distress. Neither are the demigods, my own body, the planets, my past work, or time. Rather, it is the mind alone that causes happiness and distress and perpetuates the rotation of material life.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

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.

The Mind Perpetuates Material Happiness and Distress

  1. 1

    The brāhmaṇa declared that these people were not the cause of his happiness and distress.

  2. 2

    He also rejected the demigods, his body, the planets, past work and time as their cause.

  3. 3

    He identified the mind alone as the cause of happiness and distress. It is the mind that keeps the cycle of material life turning.

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 23: The Song of the Avantī Brāhmaṇa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Neither mortal persons, the demigods, the soul, the ruling planets, the reactions of work nor time are the causes of one’s happiness and distress. Rather, the mind alone is their cause, because it is the mind that makes the spirit soul wander in the cycle of material life.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.23
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. dvijaḥ uvācathe brāhmaṇa said
  2. nanot
  3. ayamthese
  4. janaḥpeople
  5. memy
  6. sukhaof happiness
  7. duḥkhaand distress
  8. hetuḥthe cause
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 11.23

    In this verse: “material”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 11.23

    In this verse: “distress”

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

When I blame others for my distress, what role is my mind playing?

Practice

When one upsetting thought arises today, pause and notice the mind’s response before blaming another person.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Mind Perpetuates Material Happiness and DistressThis 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 11.23.42? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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