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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 11.5.10

Who is speaking and story frame

सर्वेषु शश्वत्तनुभृत्स्ववस्थितं

यथा खमात्मानमभीष्टमीश्वरम् ।

वेदोपगीतं च न श‍ृण्वतेऽबुधा

मनोरथानां प्रवदन्ति वार्तया ॥ १० ॥

sarveṣu śaśvat tanu-bhṛtsv avasthitaṁ

yathā kham ātmānam abhīṣṭam īśvaram

vedopagītaṁ ca na śṛṇvate ’budhā

mano-rathānāṁ pravadanti vārtayā

Translation

The Personality of Godhead is eternally situated within the heart of every embodied being; still the Lord remains situated apart, just as the sky, which is all-pervading, does not mix with any material object. Thus the Lord is the supreme worshipable object and the absolute controller of everything. He is elaborately glorified in the Vedic literature, but those who are bereft of intelligence do not like to hear about Him. They prefer to waste their time discussing their own mental concoctions, which inevitably deal with gross material sense gratification such as sex life and meat-eating.

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.

Hear About the Lord Within Your Heart

  1. 1

    The Supreme Personality of Godhead eternally resides within every embodied being’s heart while remaining apart from matter. He is the supreme worshipable object and the controller of everything.

  2. 2

    The goal of all Vedic knowledge is to know Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth. Materialistic people neglect this purpose and spend their time discussing sense gratification.

  3. 3

    The Lord patiently encourages the conditioned soul to recognize Him within the heart. Since everything belongs to Him, directing our activities toward His pleasure brings unlimited happiness.

Key points from the purport
  • The goal of all Vedic knowledge is to know the Lord, who is the Absolute Truth.
  • There is actually no happiness in material affairs, and the Lord mercifully punishes the intoxicated conditioned soul to bring him back to his real life.
  • Every materialistic person actually feels that he is the most intelligent person, and thus he has no time to hear the actual truth.

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

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 5: Nārada Concludes His Teachings to Vasudeva

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

They are maddened by material opulences and pleasures, devoid of real discrimination and intelligence and always function on the mental platform. But such attachment to family life and so on is most natural for the mass of people, even though it is against the best advice of śāstra.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.5
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. sarveṣuin all
  2. śaśvateternally
  3. tanu-bhṛtsuembodied living beings
  4. avasthitamsituated
  5. yathājust as
  6. khamthe sky
  7. ātmānamthe Supreme Soul
  8. abhīṣṭammost worshipable
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

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 11.5

    In this verse: “sense gratification”, “material”, “materialistic”

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 11.5

    In this verse: “worshipable”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 11.5

    In this verse: “knowledge”, “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

What conversation or activity could I redirect toward Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure?

Practice

Replace five minutes of talk about sense enjoyment with reading or discussing Kṛṣṇa’s teachings.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayHear About the Lord Within Your HeartThis 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 11.5.10? Get an answer from the verses themselves.