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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 11.5.8

Who is speaking and story frame

वदन्ति तेऽन्योन्यमुपासितस्त्रियो

गृहेषु मैथुन्यपरेषु चाशिष: ।

यजन्त्यसृष्टान्नविधानदक्षिणं

वृत्त्यै परं घ्नन्ति पशूनतद्विद: ॥ ८ ॥

vadanti te ’nyonyam upāsita-striyo

gṛheṣu maithunya-pareṣu cāśiṣaḥ

yajanty asṛṣṭānna-vidhāna-dakṣiṇaṁ

vṛttyai paraṁ ghnanti paśūn atad-vidaḥ

Translation

The materialistic followers of Vedic rituals, giving up the worship of the Lord, instead practically worship their wives, and thus their homes become dedicated to sex life. Such materialistic householders encourage one another in such whimsical behavior. Understanding ritualistic sacrifice as a necessary item for bodily maintenance, they perform unauthorized ceremonies in which there is no distribution of foodstuffs or charity to the brāhmaṇas and other respectable persons. Instead, they cruelly slaughter animals such as goats without any understanding of the dark consequences of their activities.

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.

Keep the Lord Central in Family Life

  1. 1

    Materialistic householders neglect worship of the Lord and encourage one another in temporary sense pleasure. They prefer discussing their families to hearing about the Lord’s pastimes.

  2. 2

    Religious ceremonies performed only for livelihood or family prestige do not excuse neglect of the Lord and His devotees. The verse describes unauthorized ceremonies lacking charity and involving cruel animal slaughter.

  3. 3

    The Lord’s devotees remain ready to act mercifully toward such conditioned souls. Their mercy offers hope to those uninterested in devotional service to the Supreme Lord.

Key points from the purport
  • Thus, lusty materialistic householders are not attracted to worshiping saintly persons, but rather worship their wives as a source of constant sex pleasure.
  • When the devotees of the Lord preach that human beings should not slaughter animals, materialistic householders are very often astonished and inquire if it is actually possible to subsist on a vegetarian diet.
  • Thus being completely ignorant of the material mode of goodness, what to speak of spiritual knowledge, such condemned materialists have no hope beyond the mercy of the devotees of the Lord.

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· 1

The purport of SB 11.5.8 quotesBG 16.13

The mentality of such condemned persons is described by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (16.13): “So much wealth do I have today, and I will gain more according to my schemes.

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 5: Nārada Concludes His Teachings to Vasudeva

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Engaging in animal slaughter apart from that necessary for performance of sacrifice, these human animals themselves suffer violence in the next life. If because of excessive greed for one’s own pleasure one commits violence against living beings, he is also attacking Lord Śrī Hari, who is present in the bodies of all living entities as the Supersoul.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.5
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. vadantispeak
  2. tethey
  3. anyonyamamong each other
  4. upāsita-striyaḥwho are engaged in worshiping women
  5. gṛheṣuin their homes
  6. maithunya-pareṣuwhich are dedicated to sex only
  7. caand
  8. āśiṣaḥblessings
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

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

    In this verse: “worship”, “devotional service”, “devotees”

  • Moha · Material attachment

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

    In this verse: “householders”, “materialistic”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

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

    In this verse: “understanding”

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 my household conversations encourage service to the Lord or only temporary enjoyment?

Practice

Set aside five minutes today to hear or discuss the Lord’s pastimes rather than only family affairs.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayKeep the Lord Central in Family 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 11.5.8? Get an answer from the verses themselves.