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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 · Text 11.28.34

Who is speaking and story frame

यथा हि भानोरुदयो नृचक्षुषां

तमो निहन्यान्न तु सद् विधत्ते ।

एवं समीक्षा निपुणा सती मे

हन्यात्तमिस्रं पुरुषस्य बुद्धे: ॥ ३४ ॥

yathā hi bhānor udayo nṛ-cakṣuṣāṁ

tamo nihanyān na tu sad vidhatte

evaṁ samīkṣā nipuṇā satī me

hanyāt tamisraṁ puruṣasya buddheḥ

Translation

When the sun rises it destroys the darkness covering men’s eyes, but it does not create the objects they then see before them, which in fact were existing all along. Similarly, potent and factual realization of Me will destroy the darkness covering a person’s true consciousness.

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.

Realization Removes the Darkness

  1. 1

    Sunrise removes the darkness covering people’s eyes, allowing them to see.

  2. 2

    The sun does not create the objects it reveals; they were already present.

  3. 3

    Similarly, potent and factual realization of the Lord destroys the darkness covering one’s true consciousness.

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:

Nevertheless, until one becomes perfectly fixed in bhakti-yoga, pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord, one should carefully avoid contacting material sense objects. An aspiring devotee may meet various obstacles and fall down, but in his next life he will continue his practice by dint of what he has already accomplished in devotional service.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.28
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. yathāas
  2. hiindeed
  3. bhānoḥof the sun
  4. udayaḥthe rising
  5. nṛhuman
  6. cakṣuṣāmof eyes
  7. tamaḥthe darkness
  8. nihanyātdestroys
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

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 does the sunrise comparison help me understand what realization of the Lord reveals?

Practice

Spend a minute reflecting on the Lord’s realization as light removing darkness, rather than creating something previously nonexistent.

Live this todayRealization Removes the DarknessThis 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 11.28.34? Get an answer from the verses themselves.