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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 11.7.42

Who is speaking and story frame

अन्तर्हितश्च स्थिरजङ्गमेषु

ब्रह्मात्मभावेन समन्वयेन ।

व्याप्त्याव्यवच्छेदमसङ्गमात्मनो

मुनिर्नभस्त्वं विततस्य भावयेत् ॥ ४२ ॥

antarhitaś ca sthira-jaṅgameṣu

brahmātma-bhāvena samanvayena

vyāptyāvyavacchedam asaṅgam ātmano

munir nabhastvaṁ vitatasya bhāvayet

Translation

A thoughtful sage, even while living within a material body, should understand himself to be pure spirit soul. Similarly, one should see that the spirit soul enters within all forms of life, both moving and nonmoving, and that the individual souls are thus all-pervading. The sage should further observe that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as the Supersoul, is simultaneously present within all things. Both the individual soul and the Supersoul can be understood by comparing them to the nature of the sky: although the sky extends everywhere and everything rests within the sky, the sky does not mix with anything, nor can it be divided by anything.

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.

Many Souls, One Supreme Lord

  1. 1

    The sky accommodates all material objects without mixing with them or becoming divided. This comparison helps us understand the individual soul and the Supersoul.

  2. 2

    Individual souls are present throughout the forms of life because there are innumerable souls. Each individual soul nevertheless remains infinitesimal.

  3. 3

    The Supreme Personality of Godhead is personally present everywhere as the Supersoul, yet remains one and unattached. A thoughtful sage never doubts the Lord's supreme position.

Key points from the purport
  • The Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, is all-pervading because He Himself is personally present everywhere.
  • Thus the same unique Personality of Godhead exists everywhere, just like the sky, and yet is not attached to anything, although everything is resting within Him.
  • Therefore, although both the jīva soul and the Supersoul are said to be all-pervading, it should be remembered that there are innumerable individual jīva souls, whereas there is only one 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· 1

The purport of SB 11.7.42 quotesBG 9.6

The Lord Himself has confirmed this analysis of His all-pervasiveness in Bhagavad-gītā (9.6): “As the almighty wind, blowing everywhere, always rests in ethereal space, know that in the same manner all beings rest in Me.”

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

Grief and dependence → Detachment. The temporary world becomes a source of spiritual instruction.

Chapters 7–9 of Canto 11: The avadhuta's twenty-four teachers. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 7: Lord Kṛṣṇa Instructs Uddhava

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

For this reason the human form of life is most dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this regard, Lord Kṛṣṇa began to describe an ancient conversation between a brāhmaṇa avadhūta and the great king Yadu.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 11.7
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. antarhitaḥpresent within
  2. caalso
  3. sthiraall nonmoving living bodies
  4. jaṅgameṣuand all moving forms of life
  5. brahma-ātma-bhāvenaby realization that he himself is pure spirit
  6. samanvayenaas a result of the different contacts (with different bodies)
  7. vyāptyābecause of being all-pervading
  8. avyavacchedamthe feature of being undivided
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

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 11.7

    In this verse: “spirit soul”, “understand”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 11.7

    In this verse: “material”

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

Can I distinguish the countless individual souls from the one all-pervading Supreme Lord?

Practice

Look at the sky for a moment and reflect that all beings rest within the Supreme Lord, while He remains unattached.

5

The story around it

The stories this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayMany Souls, One Supreme LordThis 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 11.7.42? Get an answer from the verses themselves.