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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 3: Liberation from the Illusory Energy
11.3.2311.3.25

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 11.3.24

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śrī Prabuddhasince 11.3.18inside 4 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → VasudevaThe nine Yogendras → King Nimi

शौचं तपस्तितिक्षां च मौनं स्वाध्यायमार्जवम् ।

ब्रह्मचर्यमहिंसां च समत्वं द्वन्द्वसंज्ञयो: ॥ २४ ॥

śaucaṁ tapas titikṣāṁ ca

maunaṁ svādhyāyam ārjavam

brahmacaryam ahiṁsāṁ ca

samatvaṁ dvandva-saṁjñayoḥ

Translation

To serve the spiritual master the disciple should learn cleanliness, austerity, tolerance, silence, study of Vedic knowledge, simplicity, celibacy, nonviolence, and equanimity in the face of material dualities such as heat and cold, happiness and distress.

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.

Cultivate Qualities That Support Devotional Service

  1. 1

    To serve the spiritual master, cultivate cleanliness, austerity, tolerance, silence, Vedic study, simplicity, celibacy, nonviolence and equanimity. Cleanliness includes freedom from false pride, while austerity means remaining steady in duty despite impulses of lust, anger and greed.

  2. 2

    Tolerance means being forgiving rather than vindictive. Silence means avoiding worthless talk and instead glorifying Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

  3. 3

    Study books that increase the desire to serve the Supreme Lord, rather than reading for scholarly prestige. Spiritual perfection is possible within daily life by dedicating one’s work to the Lord and sincerely taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa’s holy names.

Key points from the purport
  • One should always speak about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, glorifying His holy name, fame, pastimes, entourage, and so on.
  • One should always hear about, glorify, meditate upon and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.
  • Specifically one should study those books which increase one’s desire to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The purport's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 3

The purport of SB 11.3.24 quotesBG 18.45

Similarly, in Bhagavad-gītā (18.45) Lord Kṛṣṇa clearly states, sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ. One does not have to adopt a monastic life or live in the forest as a yogī; one can achieve perfection by dedicating his occupational duties to the Supreme Lord.

The purport of SB 11.3.24 quotesBG 3.39

As Lord Kṛṣṇa has stated in Bhagavad-gītā (3.39): “Thus a man’s pure consciousness is covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire.”

The purport of SB 11.3.24 quotesBG 2.14

Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (2.14): “O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons.

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

How it feels

Foreboding → Devotional urgency. Uddhava realizes that Kṛṣṇa's visible association is nearing an end.

Chapters 1–6 of Canto 11: The Yadu curse, the nine Yogendras and farewell signs. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 3: Liberation from the Illusory Energy

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Accepting the bona fide spiritual master as one’s life and soul, the submissive disciple should learn from him the process of pure devotional service, which satisfies the Supreme Lord. By thus following the path of devotional service, the disciple gradually develops all good qualities.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.3
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śaucamcleanliness
  2. tapaḥausterity
  3. titikṣāmtolerance
  4. caand
  5. maunamsilence
  6. svādhyāyamstudy of the Vedas
  7. ārjavamsimplicity
  8. brahmacaryamcelibacy
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Mukti · Liberation

    What is real freedom for the soul? · Subject 9 of 10

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 11.3

    In this verse: “material”, “lust”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 11.3

    In this verse: “knowledge”

  • Karuṇā · Compassion

    Concern for others expressed through bhakti. · Theme in SB 11.3

    In this verse: “distress”

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Which habit in my daily work or speech could I change to better support loving service to Kṛṣṇa?

Practice

Replace one moment of frivolous talk today with reading aloud a short passage that glorifies Kṛṣṇa.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

6

Connected stories

Keep going: stories told elsewhere in the Bhāgavatam that this verse or its purport brings in.

Found where this verse or Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport names them. See all of chapter 11.3's connections

Live this todayCultivate Qualities That Support Devotional ServiceThis 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 11.3.24? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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