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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 28: Jñāna-yoga
11.28.2511.28.27

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.28.26

Āśraya· The supreme shelter
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The Supreme Personality of Godheadsince 11.28.12inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitLord Kṛṣṇa → Uddhava

यथा नभो वाय्वनलाम्बुभूगुणै-

र्गतागतैर्वर्तुगुणैर्न सज्जते ।

तथाक्षरं सत्त्वरजस्तमोमलै-

रहंमते: संसृतिहेतुभि: परम् ॥ २६ ॥

yathā nabho vāyv-analāmbu-bhū-guṇair

gatāgatair vartu-guṇair na sajjate

tathākṣaraṁ sattva-rajas-tamo-malair

ahaṁ-mateḥ saṁsṛti-hetubhiḥ param

Translation

The sky may display the various qualities of the air, fire, water and earth that pass through it, as well as such qualities as heat and cold, which continually come and go with the seasons. Yet the sky is never entangled with any of these qualities. Similarly, the Supreme Absolute Truth is never entangled with the contaminations of goodness, passion and ignorance, which cause the material transformations of the false ego.

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 Supreme Lord Is Eternally Pure

  1. 1

    The sky is not entangled with the elements or seasonal qualities that pass through it. Similarly, the Supreme Absolute Truth remains untouched by the material modes.

  2. 2

    The conditioned living entity identifies with a particular material body through false ego. The Personality of Godhead is never covered by a material body or subject to false ego.

  3. 3

    Goodness, passion and ignorance do not contaminate the Lord. He is eternally infallible and pure.

Key points from the purport
  • The word ahaṁ-mateḥ here indicates the conditioned living entity, who becomes manifest with the false ego of a particular material body.
  • By contrast, the Personality of Godhead is unaffected by the modes of nature, and thus He is never covered by a material body and never subject to false ego.
  • As described here, the Lord is eternally infallible and pure.

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 28: Jñāna-yoga

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Brahman is unique in being self-sufficient, whereas this world is the expansion of Brahman produced through the material mode of passion. By the mercy of a bona fide spiritual master, one can understand the Absolute Truth and come to appreciate the nonspiritual nature of the material body and its extensions.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.28
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. yathājust as
  2. nabhaḥthe sky
  3. vāyuof air
  4. analafire
  5. ambuwater
  6. bhūand earth
  7. guṇaiḥby the qualities
  8. gata-āgataiḥwhich come and go
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Āśraya · The summum bonum

    Who is the shelter of everything? · Subject 10 of 10

  • Śuddhi · Inner transformation

    The reorientation of the heart toward service. · Theme in SB 11.28

    In this verse: “contaminations”, “contaminate”

  • Dainya · Humility

    Ego yields to insight, service and surrender. · Theme in SB 11.28

    In this verse: “false ego”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 11.28

    In this verse: “absolute truth”

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

Do I mistakenly attribute material limitations to the Personality of Godhead?

Practice

Look at the sky today and recall that the Lord remains pure despite the changing qualities of material nature.

Live this todayThe Supreme Lord Is Eternally PureThis 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 11.28.26? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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