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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Texts 11.24.22-27

अन्ने प्रलीयते मर्त्यमन्नं धानासु लीयते । धाना भूमौ प्रलीयन्ते भूमिर्गन्धे प्रलीयते ॥ २२ ॥

अप्सु प्रलीयते गन्ध आपश्च स्वगुणे रसे । लीयते ज्योतिषि रसो ज्योती रूपे प्रलीयते ॥ २३ ॥

रूपं वायौ स च स्पर्शे लीयते सोऽपि चाम्बरे । अम्बरं शब्दतन्मात्र इन्द्रियाणि स्वयोनिषु ॥ २४ ॥

योनिर्वैकारिके सौम्य लीयते मनसीश्व‍रे । शब्दो भूतादिमप्येति भूतादिर्महति प्रभुः ॥ २५ ॥

स लीयते महान् स्वेषु गुणेषु गुणवत्तमः । तेऽव्यक्ते सम्प्रलीयन्ते तत् काले लीयतेऽव्यये ॥ २६ ॥

कालो मायामये जीवे जीव आत्मनि मय्यजे । आत्मा केवल आत्मस्थो विकल्पापायलक्षणः ॥ २७ ॥

anne pralīyate martyam

annaṁ dhānāsu līyate

dhānā bhūmau pralīyante

bhūmir gandhe pralīyate

apsu pralīyate gandha

āpaś ca sva-guṇe rase

līyate jyotiṣi raso

jyotī rūpe pralīyate

rūpaṁ vāyau sa ca sparśe

līyate so ’pi cāmbare

ambaraṁ śabda-tan-mātra

indriyāṇi sva-yoniṣu

yonir vaikārike saumya

līyate manasīśvare

śabdo bhūtādim apyeti

bhūtādir mahati prabhuḥ

sa līyate mahān sveṣu

guṇesu guṇa-vattamaḥ

te ’vyakte sampralīyante

tat kāle līyate ’vyaye

kālo māyā-maye jīve

jīva ātmani mayy aje

ātmā kevala ātma-stho

vikalpāpāya-lakṣaṇaḥ

Translation

At the time of annihilation, the mortal body of the living being becomes merged into food. Food merges into the grains, and the grains merge back into the earth. The earth merges into its subtle sensation, fragrance. Fragrance merges into water, and water further merges into its own quality, taste. That taste merges into fire, which merges into form. Form merges into touch, and touch merges into ether. Ether finally merges into the sensation of sound. The senses all merge into their own origins, the presiding demigods, and they, O gentle Uddhava, merge into the controlling mind, which itself merges into false ego in the mode of goodness. Sound becomes one with false ego in the mode of ignorance, and all-powerful false ego, the first of all the physical elements, merges into the total nature. The total material nature, the primary repository of the three basic modes, dissolves into the modes. These modes of nature then merge into the unmanifest form of nature, and that unmanifest form merges into time. Time merges into the Supreme Lord, present in the form of the omniscient Mahā-puruṣa, the original activator of all living beings. That origin of all life merges into Me, the unborn Supreme Soul, who remains alone, established within Himself. It is from Him that all creation and annihilation are manifested.

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.

Everything Returns to the Supreme Lord

  1. 1

    The annihilation of the material world reverses the process of creation. The mortal body, material elements and senses merge back into their origins.

  2. 2

    Material nature dissolves into the modes, which merge into unmanifest nature, and unmanifest nature merges into time. Time merges into the Supreme Lord.

  3. 3

    Ultimately everything rests within the unborn Supreme Soul, from whom creation and annihilation are manifested. He remains alone, full in His absolute position.

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