1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 11 · General History · 31 chapters

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

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
11.23.5011.23.52

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.23.51

Mukti· Liberation
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

दु:खस्य हेतुर्यदि देवतास्तु

किमात्मनस्तत्र विकारयोस्तत् ।

यदङ्गमङ्गेन निहन्यते क्व‍‍चित्

क्रुध्येत कस्मै पुरुष: स्वदेहे ॥ ५१ ॥

duḥkhasya hetur yadi devatās tu

kim ātmanas tatra vikārayos tat

yad aṅgam aṅgena nihanyate kvacit

krudhyeta kasmai puruṣaḥ sva-dehe

Translation

If you say that the demigods who rule the bodily senses cause suffering, still, how can such suffering apply to the spirit soul? This acting and being acted upon are merely interactions of the changeable senses and their presiding deities. When one limb of the body attacks another, with whom can the person in that body be angry?

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.

Surrender to Kṛṣṇa Beyond Bodily Duality

  1. 1

    Self-realization means understanding oneself as distinct from the material body, mind and the demigods who control them.

  2. 2

    Material happiness and distress are two sides of the same coin. Identifying with the body to enjoy its pleasures also exposes one to its inevitable pains.

  3. 3

    By surrendering to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and reservoir of all pleasure, one can reach the spiritual platform. There, transcendental bliss is free from interrupting anxiety and unhappiness.

Key points from the purport
  • The brāhmaṇa is elaborately explaining the condition of self-realization, in which one understands oneself to be totally distinct from the material body and mind and the demigods who control them.
  • One cannot relish bodily happiness without identifying oneself as the body.
  • Bodily happiness and distress are administered by the demigods, who can never be brought under our control; thus one remains subject to the whims of providence on the material platform.

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 23: The Song of the Avantī Brāhmaṇa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Rather, the mind alone is their cause, because it is the mind that makes the spirit soul wander in the cycle of material life. The real purpose of all charity, religiosity and so forth is to bring the mind under control.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.23
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. duḥkhasyaof suffering
  2. hetuḥthe cause
  3. yadiif
  4. devatāḥthe demigods (who rule over the different senses within the body)
  5. tubut
  6. kimwhat
  7. ātmanaḥfor the soul
  8. tatrain that connection
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 11.23

    In this verse: “spirit soul”, “understanding”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

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

    In this verse: “suffering”, “distress”

  • Vairāgya · Freedom from attachment

    Release from possessiveness and false identities. · Theme in SB 11.23

    In this verse: “free from”

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

Am I seeking lasting happiness in bodily pleasures that also bring unavoidable distress?

Practice

Offer a brief prayer to Lord Kṛṣṇa today, asking to take shelter of Him rather than depend on bodily comfort.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySurrender to Kṛṣṇa Beyond Bodily DualityThis 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 11.23.51? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories