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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
11.25.1611.25.18

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.25.17

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

विकुर्वन् क्रियया चाधीरनिवृत्तिश्च चेतसाम् ।

गात्रास्वास्थ्यं मनो भ्रान्तं रज एतैर्निशामय ॥ १७ ॥

vikurvan kriyayā cā-dhīr

anivṛttiś ca cetasām

gātrāsvāsthyaṁ mano bhrāntaṁ

raja etair niśāmaya

Translation

You should discern the mode of passion by its symptoms — the distortion of the intelligence because of too much activity, the inability of the perceiving senses to disentangle themselves from mundane objects, an unhealthy condition of the working physical organs, and the unsteady perplexity of the mind.

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.

Recognize the Symptoms of Passion

  1. 1

    Too much activity can distort the intelligence; this is a symptom of passion.

  2. 2

    The perceiving senses cannot disentangle themselves from mundane objects, and the working physical organs become unhealthy.

  3. 3

    An unsteady, perplexed mind also reveals the influence of passion.

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:

The substance, place and result of activity, along with the time, the knowledge underlying action, the activity itself, the performer, his faith, his level of awareness, his spiritual progress and his destination after death, all partake of the three modes and manifest variously in terms of distinctions and hierarchies.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.25
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. vikurvanbecoming distorted
  2. kriyayāby activity
  3. caand
  4. āeven up to
  5. dhīḥthe intelligence
  6. anivṛttiḥfailure to stop
  7. caand
  8. cetasāmon the part of the conscious faculties of intelligence and the senses
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

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

Is too much activity making my mind unsteady and my judgment unclear?

Practice

Pause once during a busy period and notice whether your mind is steady or perplexed.

Live this todayRecognize the Symptoms of PassionThis 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 11.25.17? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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