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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 3 · The Status Quo · 33 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 3 · Chapter 10: Divisions of the Creation
3.10.143.10.16

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.10.15

Sarga· Creation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Maitreya Ṛṣisince 3.10.11inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

आद्यस्तु महत: सर्गो गुणवैषम्यमात्मन: ।

द्वितीयस्त्वहमो यत्र द्रव्यज्ञानक्रियोदय: ॥ १५ ॥

ādyas tu mahataḥ sargo

guṇa-vaiṣamyam ātmanaḥ

dvitīyas tv ahamo yatra

dravya-jñāna-kriyodayaḥ

Translation

Of the nine creations, the first one is the creation of the mahat-tattva, or the sum total of the material ingredients, wherein the modes interact due to the presence of the Supreme Lord. In the second, the false ego is generated, in which the material ingredients, material knowledge and material activities arise.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

False Ego Confuses the Soul With Matter

  1. 1

    The first emanation from the Supreme Lord for material creation is the mahat-tattva, the sum total of material ingredients. Its modes interact due to His presence.

  2. 2

    The second creation produces false ego. This is the false identification of the body and mind with the soul.

  3. 3

    Material resources, knowledge and the capacity to work arise in the second creation. These include the knowledge-acquiring senses, working organs and their controlling deities.

Key points from the purport
  • The first emanation from the Supreme Lord for material creation is called the mahat-tattva.
  • The interaction of the material modes is the cause of false identification, or the sense that a living being is made of material elements.
  • Material resources and the capacity and knowledge to work are all generated in the second term of creation, after the mahat-tattva.

Śrīla Prabhupāda'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

Mystery → Cosmic wonder. The origin of the world is revealed through inquiry and divine grace.

Chapters 5–12 of Canto 3: Creation and Brahmā's bewilderment. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 10: Divisions of the Creation

Maitreya explains the divisions of creation and Brahmā’s preparation of planetary homes for living entities.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.10
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ādyaḥthe first
  2. tubut
  3. mahataḥof the total emanation from the Lord
  4. sargaḥcreation
  5. guṇa-vaiṣamyaminteraction of the material modes
  6. ātmanaḥof the Supreme
  7. dvitīyaḥthe second
  8. tubut
3

Key ideas in this verse

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

  • Sarga · The creation of the universe

    Where does the universe come from? · Subject 1 of 10

  • Dainya · Humility

    Ego yields to insight, service and surrender. · Theme in SB 3.10

    In this verse: “false ego”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 3.10

    In this verse: “knowledge”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 3.10

    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

When do I mistake the condition of my body or mind for the identity of my soul?

Practice

When you notice a bodily or mental condition today, pause and recall that the body and mind are not the soul.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayFalse Ego Confuses the Soul With MatterThis 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 3.10.15? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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