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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

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

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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.

Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›

Canto 11 · Chapter 23: The Song of the Avantī Brāhmaṇa

11.23.59 11.23.61

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.23.60

Mukti· Liberation

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Lord Kṛṣṇasince 11.23.58inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

तस्मात् सर्वात्मना तात निगृहाण मनो धिया ।

मय्यावेशितया युक्त एतावान् योगसङ्ग्रह: ॥ ६० ॥

tasmāt sarvātmanā tāta

nigṛhāṇa mano dhiyā

mayy āveśitayā yukta

etāvān yoga-saṅgrahaḥ

Translation

My dear Uddhava, fixing your intelligence on Me, you should thus completely control the mind. This is the essence of the science of yoga.

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.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Control the Mind by Focusing on Kṛṣṇa

1
The Lord instructs Uddhava to fix his intelligence on Him. The direction of intelligence is central to controlling the mind.
2
With intelligence absorbed in the Lord, one should bring the mind completely under control. The instruction calls for wholehearted attention.
3
The Lord calls this the essence of the science of yoga. Mind control is joined to absorption in Him, not treated as an isolated goal.

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 23: The Song of the Avantī Brāhmaṇa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The Avantī brāhmaṇa therefore became determined to bring himself over the insurmountable ocean of material existence by rendering service to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, Mukunda, with the same perfect faith in the Lord exhibited by the great devotees of the past. Only when one can focus his intelligence on the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead can the mind be completely subdued; this is the essence of all practical prescriptions for spiritual advancement.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 11.23