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

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Canto 7 · The Science of God · 15 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.
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Canto 7 · Chapter 13: The Behavior of a Perfect Person
7.13.427.13.44

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 7.13.43

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:The brāhmaṇasince 7.13.32inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira

विकल्पं जुहुयाच्चित्तौ तां मनस्यर्थविभ्रमे ।

मनो वैकारिके हुत्वा तं मायायां जुहोत्यनु ॥ ४३ ॥

vikalpaṁ juhuyāc cittau

tāṁ manasy artha-vibhrame

mano vaikārike hutvā

taṁ māyāyāṁ juhoty anu

Translation

The mental concoction of discrimination between good and bad should be accepted as one unit and then invested in the mind, which should then be invested in the false ego. The false ego should be invested in the total material energy. This is the process of fighting false discrimination.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Devotional Service Transcends Material Attraction

  1. 1

    The verse describes withdrawing false discrimination into the mind, the mind into false ego, and false ego into the total material energy. This is a process of becoming free from material attraction.

  2. 2

    False ego makes one think, “I am this body, a product of matter.” Jñānīs distinguish matter from spirit, while bhakti-yogīs seek to return home, back to Godhead.

  3. 3

    One who engages in full, unfailing devotional service at once transcends the modes of material nature. The devotee’s position is secure on the spiritual platform.

Key points from the purport
  • Others, such as jñānīs and haṭha-yogīs, can only gradually ascend to the spiritual platform by nullifying their material discrimination on the platform of psychology and nullifying the false ego, by which one thinks, “I am this body, a product of matter.”
  • One must merge the false ego into the total material energy and merge the total material energy into the supreme energetic.
  • This is the process of becoming free from material attraction.

Śrīla Prabhupāda'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 7.13.43 quotesBG 14.26

As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (14.26): “One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down under any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.”

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

Seriousness → Principled living. The example of bhakti becomes a guide to daily life.

Chapters 11–15 of Canto 7: Teachings on social and spiritual conduct. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 13: The Behavior of a Perfect Person

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Sometimes he accepts severe austerities, and sometimes he accepts material opulence. His only concern is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, and for that purpose he can do anything and everything, without reference to the regulative principles.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 7.13
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. vikalpamdiscrimination (between good and bad, one person and another, one nation and another, and all similar discrimination)
  2. juhuyātone should offer as oblations
  3. cittauin the fire of consciousness
  4. tāmthat consciousness
  5. manasiin the mind
  6. artha-vibhramethe root of all acceptance and rejection
  7. manaḥthat mind
  8. vaikārikein false ego, identification of oneself with matter
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

  • Bhakti · Devotion and loving service

    How devotion reorganizes desire and action. · Theme in SB 7.13

    In this verse: “devotional service”, “devotee’s”, “bhakti-yogīs”

  • Moha · Material attachment

    The pull of ego, desire and impermanent relationships. · Theme in SB 7.13

    In this verse: “material”

  • Dainya · Humility

    Ego yields to insight, service and surrender. · Theme in SB 7.13

    In this verse: “false ego”

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 most strongly identify myself with my material body?

Practice

Set aside a few undistracted minutes for devotional service today, rather than for a material attraction.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayDevotional Service Transcends Material AttractionThis 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.

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