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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 15: Instructions for Civilized Human Beings
7.15.87.15.10

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 7.15.9

Mukti· Liberation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Nārada Munisince 7.15.1inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitNārada Muni → Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira

एके कर्ममयान् यज्ञान् ज्ञानिनो यज्ञवित्तमा: ।

आत्मसंयमनेऽनीहा जुह्वति ज्ञानदीपिते ॥ ९ ॥

eke karmamayān yajñān

jñānino yajña-vittamāḥ

ātma-saṁyamane ’nīhā

juhvati jñāna-dīpite

Translation

Because of an awakening of spiritual knowledge, those who are intelligent in regard to sacrifice, who are actually aware of religious principles and who are free from material desires, control the self in the fire of spiritual knowledge, or knowledge of the Absolute Truth. They may give up the process of ritualistic ceremonies.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Seek Knowledge That Leads Back to Godhead

  1. 1

    People commonly perform ritualistic ceremonies to reach higher planetary systems. Awakening spiritual knowledge makes one uninterested in such elevation.

  2. 2

    Those who understand sacrifice and are free from material desires practice self-control in the fire of spiritual knowledge. They may give up ritualistic ceremonies.

  3. 3

    The objective of life is to end the miseries of birth and death and return home, back to Godhead. Cultivating knowledge for this purpose is higher than pursuing fruitive activities.

Key points from the purport
  • People are generally very much interested in karma-kāṇḍa ritualistic ceremonies for elevation to the higher planetary systems, but when one awakens his spiritual knowledge, he becomes uninterested in such elevation and engages himself fully in jñāna-yajña to find the objective of life.
  • The objective of life is to stop completely the miseries of birth and death and to return home, back to Godhead.
  • When one cultivates knowledge for this purpose, he is considered to be on a higher platform than one who is engaged in karma-yajña, or fruitive activities.

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

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 15: Instructions for Civilized Human Beings

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

Those who are advanced in knowledge of religious principles must avoid five kinds of irreligion, known as vidharma, para-dharma, dharmābhāsa, upadharma and chala-dharma. One must act according to the religious principles that suit his constitutional position; it is not that everyone must adhere to the same type of religion.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 7.15
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. ekesome
  2. karma-mayānresulting in a reaction (such as the killing of animals)
  3. yajñānsacrifices
  4. jñāninaḥpersons advanced in knowledge
  5. yajña-vit-tamāḥwho know perfectly well the purpose of sacrifice
  6. ātma-saṁyamaneby self-control
  7. anīhāḥwho are without material desires
  8. juhvatiexecute sacrifice
  9. jñāna-dīpiteenlightened in perfect knowledge
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 7.15

    In this verse: “knowledge”, “absolute truth”, “understand”

  • Dharma · Duty and righteous conduct

    Right action as duty, responsibility and devotion. · Theme in SB 7.15

    In this verse: “religious”, “principles”

  • Vairāgya · Freedom from attachment

    Release from possessiveness and false identities. · Theme in SB 7.15

    In this verse: “give up”, “free from”

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

Am I seeking spiritual knowledge for material improvement or to return home, back to Godhead?

Practice

Spend five minutes studying this teaching with the explicit aim of understanding life’s spiritual objective.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todaySeek Knowledge That Leads Back to GodheadThis 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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