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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.
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Canto 11 · Chapter 26: The Aila-gītā
11.26.611.26.8

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.26.7

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:King Ailasince 11.26.7inside 4 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → UddhavaKing Aila → himself

ऐल उवाच

अहो मे मोहविस्तार: कामकश्मलचेतस: ।

देव्या गृहीतकण्ठस्य नायु:खण्डा इमे स्मृता: ॥ ७ ॥

aila uvāca

aho me moha-vistāraḥ

kāma-kaśmala-cetasaḥ

devyā gṛhīta-kaṇṭhasya

nāyuḥ-khaṇḍā ime smṛtāḥ

Translation

King Aila said: Alas, just see the extent of my delusion! This goddess was embracing me and held my neck in her grip. My heart was so polluted by lust that I had no idea how my life was passing.

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.

Lust Hides the Passing of Life

  1. 1

    King Aila openly recognized the extent of his delusion.

  2. 2

    While the goddess embraced him and held his neck, his heart was polluted by lust.

  3. 3

    Absorbed in that attraction, he did not notice how his life was passing.

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 26: The Aila-gītā

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Those souls, on the other hand, who are bound up by Māyā are devoted only to their bellies and genitals. They are impure, and by associating with them one will fall down into the dark pit of ignorance.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.26
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ailaḥ uvācaKing Purūravā said
  2. ahoalas
  3. memy
  4. mohaof the delusion
  5. vistāraḥthe extent
  6. kāmaby lust
  7. kaśmalacontaminated
  8. cetasaḥmy consciousness
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 11.26

    In this verse: “lust”

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 11.26

    In this verse: “king”

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

What attraction makes me lose awareness of how my life is passing?

Practice

Pause once today and honestly note whether lust or attraction has absorbed your attention.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayLust Hides the Passing of 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 11.26.7? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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