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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 25: The Three Modes of Nature and Beyond
11.24.2911.25.2-5

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.25.1

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 11.25.1inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

श्रीभगवानुवाच

गुणानामसम्मिश्राणां पुमान् येन यथा भवेत् ।

तन्मे पुरुषवर्येदमुपधारय शंसत: ॥ १ ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

guṇānām asammiśrāṇāṁ

pumān yena yathā bhavet

tan me puruṣa-varyedam

upadhāraya śaṁsataḥ

Translation

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O best among men, please listen as I describe to you how the living entity attains a particular nature by association with individual material modes.

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.

The Modes Shape Conditioned Life

  1. 1

    Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, explains how goodness, passion and ignorance each shape a conditioned soul’s existence.

  2. 2

    The living entity is ultimately transcendental to the modes of nature, being part and parcel of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

  3. 3

    In conditioned life, the living entity manifests material qualities through association with the modes.

Key points from the purport
  • The word asammiśra indicates that which is not mixed with anything else.
  • Lord Kṛṣṇa now explains how each of the three material modes (goodness, passion and ignorance), acting separately, causes a conditioned soul to manifest a particular type of existence.
  • The living entity is ultimately transcendental to the modes of nature, being part and parcel of Lord Kṛṣṇa, but in conditioned life he manifests material qualities.

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 25: The Three Modes of Nature and Beyond

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

To establish the transcendental nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this chapter describes the various functional manifestations of the three modes (goodness, passion and ignorance), which arise in the mind. Control of the mind, control of the senses, tolerance and so forth are manifestations of the unmixed mode of goodness.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.25
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-bhagavān uvācathe Supreme Personality of Godhead said
  2. guṇānāmof the modes of nature
  3. asammiśrāṇāmin their unmixed state
  4. pumāna person
  5. yenaby which mode
  6. yathāhow
  7. bhavethe becomes
  8. tatthat
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 11.25

    In this verse: “material”

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

How might distinguishing your spiritual nature from your material qualities change how you see yourself?

Practice

Notice one material quality in yourself today, and remember that your ultimate nature is beyond the modes.

Live this todayThe Modes Shape Conditioned LifeThis 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 11.25.1? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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