Śrīmad Bhāgavatam

KRISHNA-DVAIPÂYANA VYÂSA

Canto 11: General History

Chapters 10 - 17
SB 11.10: The Nature of Fruitive Activity

SB 11.11: The Symptoms of Conditioned and Liberated Living Entities

SB 11.12: Beyond Renunciation and Knowledge

SB 11.13: The Haḿsa-avatāra Answers the Questions of the Sons of Brahmā

SB 11.14: Lord Kṛṣṇa Explains the Yoga System to Śrī Uddhava

SB 11.15: Lord Kṛṣṇa's Description of Mystic Yoga Perfections

SB 11.16: The Lord's Opulence

SB 11.17: Lord Kṛṣṇa's Description of the Varṇāśrama System

 Chapter 10: The Nature of Fruitive Activity

SB 11.10.1
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
mayoditeṣv avahitaḥ sva-dharmeṣu mad-āśrayaḥ
varṇāśrama-kulācāram akāmātmā samācaret

śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; mayā — by Me; uditeṣu — spoken;
avahitaḥ — with great care; sva-dharmeṣu — in the duties of devotional service to the Lord; mat-āśrayaḥ
— one who accepts Me as shelter; varṇa-āśrama — the Vedic system of social and occupational divisions;
kula — of the society; ācāram — conduct; akāma — devoid of material desires; ātmā — such a person;
samācaret — should practice.

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Taking full shelter in Me, with the mind carefully fixed in the
devotional service of the Lord as spoken by Me, one should live without personal desire and practice the
social and occupational system called varṇāśrama.

PURPORT
In the previous chapters Lord Kṛṣṇa described through the story of an avadhūta brāhmaṇa the qualities and
character of a saintly person. Now the Lord describes the practical means for achieving such a saintly
position. In the Pañcarātra and other scriptures the Personality of Godhead gives instructions for executing
devotional service. Similarly, in Bhagavad-gītā (4.13) the Lord says, cātur-varṇyaḿ mayā sṛṣṭaḿ guṇa-
karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: "I have personally created the varṇāśrama system." There are innumerable rules and
regulations in the varṇāśrama system, and the devotee should execute those which do not contradict the
process of devotional service. The term varṇa indicates different classes of human beings, some in the
mode of ignorance, some in the mode of passion and some in the mode of goodness. Devotional service to
the Lord is executed on the liberated platform, and therefore some injunctions for those persons in passion
and ignorance may be contradictory to the regulative principles for those on the liberated platform.
Therefore, under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master who is nondifferent from the Lord, one
should execute the basic principles of varṇāśrama in a way favorable for advancement in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness.

SB 11.10.2
anvīkṣeta viśuddhātmā dehināḿ viṣayātmanām
guṇeṣu tattva-dhyānena sarvārambha-viparyayam

SYNONYMS
anvīkṣeta — one should see; viśuddha — purified; ātmā — soul; dehinām — of the embodied beings;
viṣaya-ātmanām — of those who are dedicated to sense gratification; guṇeṣu — in the material objects of
pleasure; tattva — as truth; dhyānena — by conceiving; sarva — of all; ārambha — endeavors; viparyayam
— the inevitable failure.

TRANSLATION
A purified soul should see that because the conditioned souls who are dedicated to sense gratification
have falsely accepted the objects of sense pleasure as truth, all of their endeavors are doomed to failure.

PURPORT
In this verse the Lord describes the process of becoming desireless. All material sense objects, including
those perceived by their form, taste, flavor, touch or sound, are temporary. We now see our family and
nation, but ultimately they will disappear. Even our own body, by which we perceive them, will disappear.
Thus, the inevitable result of material enjoyment is viparyaya, or great suffering. The word viśuddhātmā
indicates those who have purified themselves by executing the regulative duties of devotional service. They
can clearly see the hopeless frustration of material life, and thus they become akāmātmā, or great souls
free from material desire.
 SB 11.10.3
suptasya viṣayāloko dhyāyato vā manorathaḥ
nānātmakatvād viphalas tathā bhedātma-dhīr guṇaiḥ

SYNONYMS
suptasya — of one who is sleeping; viṣaya — sense gratification; ālokaḥ — seeing; dhyāyataḥ — of one
who is meditating; vā — or; manaḥ-rathaḥ — merely a creation of the mind; nānā — a large variety;
ātmakatvāt — due to having the nature of; viphalaḥ — bereft of the real perfection; tathā — in that way;
bheda-ātma — in that which is separately constituted; dhīḥ — intelligence; guṇaiḥ — by the material
senses.

TRANSLATION
One who is sleeping may see many objects of sense gratification in a dream, but such pleasurable things
are merely creations of the mind and are thus ultimately useless. Similarly, the living entity who is asleep
to his spiritual identity also sees many sense objects, but these innumerable objects of temporary
gratification are creations of the Lord's illusory potency and have no permanent existence. One who
meditates upon them, impelled by the senses, uselessly engages his intelligence.

PURPORT
Because the fruits of material work are temporary, it ultimately does not matter whether or not one
obtains them; the final result is the same. Materialistic activities can never award the highest perfection of
life, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The material intelligence, impelled by the senses, strongly desires sense
gratification. As stated here (bhedātma-dhīḥ), such intelligence actually separates one from one's real self-
interest. Thus the intelligence, absorbed in that which is materially favorable and unfavorable, becomes
divided in pursuit of innumerable categories of material advancement. Such divided intelligence is impotent
and cannot understand the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The devotees of the Lord,
however, have their intelligence fixed on one point — Lord Kṛṣṇa. They meditate upon the Lord's form,
qualities, pastimes and devotees, and thus their intelligence is never separated from the Absolute Truth. As
stated in Bhagavad-gītā (2.41):
vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-śākhā hy anantaś ca buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām
"Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the
intelligence of those who are irresolute is many branched."
If one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is uselessly dreaming without any understanding of his eternal situation.
The material intelligence will always devise novel means of achieving happiness, and therefore one bounces
from one fruitless program of sense gratification to another, ignoring the simple fact that all material things
are temporary and will disappear. In this way one's intelligence becomes infected with material lust and
greed, and such infected intelligence cannot bring one to the true goal of life. One should hear from the
bona fide spiritual master whose intelligence is pure, and then one will come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the
highest perfection of life.

SB 11.10.4
nivṛttaḿ karma seveta pravṛttaḿ mat-paras tyajet
jijñāsāyāḿ sampravṛtto nādriyet karma-codanām

SYNONYMS
nivṛttam — regulative duties; karma — such work; seveta — one should perform; pravṛttam — activities for
sense gratification; mat-paraḥ — one who is dedicated to Me; tyajet — should give up; jijñāsāyām — in
searching for spiritual truth; sampravṛttaḥ — being perfectly engaged; na — not; ādriyet — one should
accept; karma — any material activity; codanām — injunctions governing.

TRANSLATION
One who has fixed Me within his mind as the goal of life should give up activities based on sense
gratification and should instead execute work governed by the regulative principles for advancement.
 When, however, one is fully engaged in searching out the ultimate truth of the soul, one should not
accept the scriptural injunctions governing fruitive activities.

PURPORT
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains that the words jijñāsāyāḿ sampravṛttaḥ refer to one who is
yoga-ārūḍha, or advanced in the yoga process. In Bhagavad-gītā (6.3-4) it is stated:
ārurukṣor muner yogaḿ karma kāraṇam ucyate
yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva śamaḥ kāraṇam ucyate
yadā hi nendriyārtheṣu na karmasv anuṣajjate
sarva-sańkalpa-sannyāsī yogārūḍhas tadocyate
"For one who is a neophyte in the eightfold yoga system, work is said to be the means; and for one who has
already attained to yoga, cessation of all material activities is said to be the means. A person is said to have
attained to yoga when, having renounced all material desires, he neither acts for sense gratification nor
engages in fruitive activities." The example may be given that an ordinary man will try to enjoy the
company of women for material sense pleasure. This is called pravṛtta-karma, or the path of sense
gratification. A religious person will also enjoy the company of a woman, but under the regulative principles
of the varṇāśrama system. However, one who is fully absorbed in spiritual advancement will ultimately give
up all sense gratification derived from sexual association, either regulated or illicit. Similarly, in the stage of
pravṛtta-karma, or ordinary sense gratification, one will eat whatever pleases his tongue. On the other
hand, a materialistic devotee will sometimes cook sumptuous preparations and offer them to the Deity, not
in order to satisfy the Lord but rather with the intention of satisfying his own tongue and belly. However,
one who is sampravṛtta, or fully engaged in spiritual consciousness, is never interested in simply gratifying
his tongue. He avoids ordinary foods prepared by materialistic persons, and just for the purpose of keeping
his body fit for serving Kṛṣṇa he eats moderate quantities of food that has first been offered to the Deity for
the Deity's pleasure.
The process of spiritual realization gradually brings a conditioned soul from the lowest point of materialistic
consciousness to total absorption in loving service to the Personality of Godhead. In the beginning one is
taught to dovetail one's enjoying propensities by first offering to the Lord the fruit of one's work. In the
advanced stage, however, the impulse to execute fruitive activities (karma-codanām) is absent, and one
simply engages in the loving service of the Lord without any selfish motive. For example, a renounced
sannyāsī preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or even a renounced householder preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness,
is not required to execute all of the injunctions governing sense gratification in family life. Ultimately, every
human being should take to the transcendental duties of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Rather than working to fulfill
one's own desires and then offering the results to Kṛṣṇa, one should fully engage in pleasing the Lord
directly according to His own intimate desires.
According to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, any attempt to enjoy the material world, either
religiously or irreligiously, ultimately will be full of contradictions. One should come to the the platform of
desirelessness, pure love of Godhead, and thus solve all of the problems of life.

SB 11.10.5
yamān abhīkṣṇaḿ seveta niyamān mat-paraḥ kvacit
mad-abhijñaḿ guruḿ śāntam upāsīta mad-ātmakam

SYNONYMS
yamān — major regulative principles, such as not to kill; abhīkṣṇam — always; seveta — one should
observe; niyamān — minor regulations, such as cleansing the body; mat-paraḥ — one who is devoted to
Me; kvacit — as far as possible; mat-abhijñam — one who knows Me as I am in My personal form; gurum
— the spiritual master; śāntam — peaceful; upāsīta — one should serve; mat-ātmakam — who is not
different from Me.

TRANSLATION
One who has accepted Me as the supreme goal of life should strictly observe the scriptural injunctions
forbidding sinful activities and, as far as possible, should execute the injunctions prescribing minor
regulative duties such as cleanliness. Ultimately, however, one should approach a bona fide spiritual
 master who is full in knowledge of Me as I am, who is peaceful, and who by spiritual elevation is not
different from Me.

PURPORT
The word yamān refers to major regulative injunctions necessary for preserving one's purity. In the Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement all bona fide members must give up eating meat, fish and eggs, and they must
also avoid intoxication, gambling and illicit sex. The word abhijñam indicates that one cannot at any time
perform such forbidden activities, even in difficult circumstances. The word niyamān refers to less
obligatory injunctions, such as bathing three times daily. In certain difficult situations one may not bathe
three times daily yet may still maintain one's spiritual position. But if one engages in sinful, forbidden
activities, even in difficult circumstances, there undoubtedly will be a spiritual falldown. Ultimately, as
explained in Upadeśāmṛta, mere adherence to rules and regulations cannot give one spiritual perfection.
One must approach a bona fide spiritual master who is mad-abhijñam, or in full knowledge of the personal
form of Godhead. The word mat ("Me") negates the possibility of a bona fide spiritual master having an
impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth. Furthermore, the guru must be in complete control of his
senses; therefore he is called śānta, or peaceful. Because of being completely surrendered to the mission of
the Lord, such a spiritual master is mad-ātmakam, or nondifferent from the Personality of Godhead.

SB 11.10.6
amāny amatsaro dakṣo nirmamo dṛḍha-sauhṛdaḥ
asatvaro 'rtha-jijñāsur anasūyur amogha-vāk

SYNONYMS
amānī — without false ego; amatsaraḥ — not considering oneself to be the doer; dakṣaḥ — without
laziness; nirmamaḥ — without any sense of proprietorship over one's wife, children, home, society, etc.;
dṛḍha-sauhṛdaḥ — being fixed in the mood of loving friendship with the spiritual master, who is one's
worshipable deity; asatvaraḥ — without becoming bewildered due to material passion; artha-jijñāsuḥ —
desiring knowledge of the Absolute Truth; anasūyuḥ — free from envy; amogha-vāk — completely free
from useless conversation.

TRANSLATION
The servant or disciple of the spiritual master should be free from false prestige, never considering
himself to be the doer. He should be active and never lazy and should give up all sense of proprietorship
over the objects of the senses, including his wife, children, home and society. He should be endowed
with feelings of loving friendship toward the spiritual master and should never become deviated or
bewildered. The servant or disciple should always desire advancement in spiritual understanding, should
not envy anyone and should always avoid useless conversation.

PURPORT
No one can claim to be the permanent proprietor of his so-called wife, family, home, society, and so on.
Such material relationships appear and disappear like bubbles on the surface of the ocean. No one can
claim to be the creator of the material elements that produced one's home, society and family. If it were a
fact that parents were the ultimate creators of the bodies of their children, children would never die before
their parents; the parents would simply create new bodies for the children. Similarly, parents would also
not die, because they would create new bodies for themselves to replace the old ones. Actually, God
creates everyone's bodies as well as the material elements with which we build our material societies.
Therefore, before death drags these things out of our grasp, we should voluntarily engage them in the
loving service of the spiritual master, who is the bona fide representative of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Then such material
objects, instead of causing lamentation, will be the cause of happiness.

SB 11.10.7
jāyāpatya-gṛha-kṣetra-svajana-draviṇādiṣu
udāsīnaḥ samaḿ paśyan sarveṣv artham ivātmanaḥ

SYNONYMS
jāyā — to wife; apatya — children; gṛha — home; kṣetra — land; svajana — relatives and friends; draviṇa —
bank account; ādiṣu — and so on; udāsīnaḥ — remaining indifferent; samam — equally; paśyan — seeing;
sarveṣu — in all of these; artham — purpose; iva — like; ātmanaḥ — of oneself.

TRANSLATION
One should see one's real self-interest in life in all circumstances and should therefore remain detached
from wife, children, home, land, relatives, friends, wealth and so on.

PURPORT
A devotee of the Lord recognizes that his wife, children, home, land, friends and money are meant to be
engaged in the loving service of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, he does not frantically make arrangements
for the sense gratification of his family and friends. He is not eager to enjoy the false prestige of being the
master of his wife and the lord of his children, nor is he anxious to gain prestige from his friends and
society. Thus he does not envy anyone and is not lazy in the matter of self-realization. He is free from the
false sense of proprietorship and is always eager to develop his understanding of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. He is free from false egotism and automatically turns away from useless materialistic
conversation. Thus he is steady and not whimsical, and he is always firmly situated in loving friendship at
the lotus feet of the spiritual master.
The question may be raised as to how one can develop freedom from false proprietorship. Śrīla Viśvanātha
Cakravartī Ṭhākura has given the following example. An ordinary man is very eager to accumulate more and
more money, and he maintains his wealth in the form of stocks, bonds, securities, bank accounts,
properties, gold, and so on. As long as these different assets are contributing to his financial well-being, he
sees them equally and considers that they belong to him. But if some of his assets are taken by the
government for taxes, or if they are lost in an unfortunate business arrangement, then he is forced to give
up his sense of proprietorship. In the same way, everyone should be intelligent enough to observe that
one's sense of ownership over innumerable material objects is not permanent; therefore one should
develop detachment from these things. If one does not cultivate a loving feeling of friendship for the
Supreme Personality of Godhead and His pure devotee, the spiritual master, one will undoubtedly be
entangled by the network of material society, friendship and love. One will then remain bound up on the
material platform with no hope of permanent happiness.

SB 11.10.8
vilakṣaṇaḥ sthūla-sūkṣmād dehād ātmekṣitā sva-dṛk
yathāgnir dāruṇo dāhyād dāhako 'nyaḥ prakāśakaḥ

SYNONYMS
vilakṣaṇaḥ — having different characteristics; sthūla — from the gross; sūkṣmāt — and the subtle; dehāt —
from the body; ātmā — the spirit soul; īkṣitā — the seer; sva-dṛk — self-enlightened; yathā — just as; agniḥ
— fire; dāruṇaḥ — from firewood; dāhyāt — from that which is to be burned; dāhakaḥ — that which
burns; anyaḥ — other; prakāśakaḥ — that which illuminates.

TRANSLATION
Just as fire, which burns and illuminates, is different from firewood, which is to be burned to give
illumination, similarly the seer within the body, the self-enlightened spirit soul, is different from the
material body, which is to be illuminated by consciousness. Thus the spirit soul and the body possess
different characteristics and are separate entities.

PURPORT
It is analytically demonstrated in this verse that one should never falsely identify the ego with the material
body. Such misidentification is called false ego, or material illusion. The following question may be raised.
Since it is commonly known that the Supreme Personality of Godhead enlightens the conditioned soul, why
is the term sva-dṛk, or "self enlightened," used in this verse? Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains
that although the Supreme Personality of Godhead certainly furnishes consciousness to the living entity,
the living entity, being endowed with the potency of the Lords has himself the capacity to revive and
expand his pure consciousness. He may therefore be considered, in a secondary sense, self-enlightened.
The example may be given that gold or silver domes brilliantly reflect the rays of the sun. Although the light
comes from the sun, the inherent properties of gold and silver can also be considered causes for the
 brilliant reflection, since other substances do not possess suitable properties to reflect the sun's light.
Similarly, the spirit soul can be considered sva-dṛk, or self-enlightened, because he possesses characteristics
by which he can brilliantly reflect the potency of the Personality of Godhead, thus illuminating his
existential situation, just as a gold or silver dome shines due to its reflective properties.
A nice example is given in this verse to illustrate the different characteristics of the body and soul. Fire,
which burns and illuminates, is always different from that which is burned for illumination. It may be said,
however, that fire is present in an unmanifest form within wood. Similarly, in the conditioned life of
ignorance, the spirit soul is present, though unmanifest, within the body. The enlightened condition of the
living entity can be compared to the act of arousing fire within wood. Just as fire quickly burns wood to
ashes, similarly the spirit soul, when enlightened, burns to ashes the darkness of ignorance. We are
conscious of the body; therefore it may be said that the body is illuminated by consciousness, which is the
energy, or symptom, of the spirit soul. Identifying the body and soul as one is just as foolish as considering
fire and wood to be the same. In both cases, the intimate circumstantial connection between fire and wood
or between the soul and the body does not alter the fact that fire is different from wood or that the soul is
always different from the body.

SB 11.10.9
nirodhotpatty-aṇu-bṛhan-nānātvaḿ tat-kṛtān guṇān
antaḥ praviṣṭa ādhatta evaḿ deha-guṇān paraḥ

SYNONYMS
nirodha — dormancy; utpatti — manifestation; aṇu — tiny; bṛhat — large; nānātvam — the variety of
characteristics; tat-kṛtān — produced by that; guṇān — qualities; antaḥ — within; praviṣṭaḥ — having
entered; ādhatte — accepts; evam — thus; deha — of the material body; guṇān — qualities; paraḥ — the
transcendental entity.

TRANSLATION
Just as fire may appear differently as dormant, manifest, weak, brilliant and so on, according to the
condition of the fuel, similarly, the spirit soul enters a material body and accepts particular bodily
characteristics.

PURPORT
Although fire may appear and disappear within a particular object, the element fire always exists. Similarly,
the eternal soul appears within a suitable body and then disappears from that body, but the soul always
exists. Just as fire is different from its fuel, the soul is different from the body. A match makes a tiny fire,
whereas the explosion of a huge gasoline tank will send flames shooting up into the sky. But still, fire is one.
Similarly, one spirit soul may appear in the body of Brahmā and another in the body of an ant, but the spirit
soul is qualitatively the same in every body. Because of ignorance we impose the bodily characteristics
upon the soul, and thus we say that a particular person is American, Russian, Chinese, African or Mexican or
that he is old or young. Although such designations certainly apply to the body, they do not apply to the
spirit soul, which is described here as paraḥ, or a transcendental entity. As long as the bewildered spirit soul
remains inimical to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the designations of the gross and subtle bodies
will wrap themselves around him, keeping him in darkness. If one intellectually identifies oneself with
various materialistic philosophies of life, he becomes covered by the subtle mind. Ultimately everything
that exists is part and parcel of the Absolute Truth, Lord Kṛṣṇa. When the living entity realizes this, he
becomes nirupādhi, or free from material designations. This is his constitutional position.

SB 11.10.10
yo 'sau guṇair viracito deho 'yaḿ puruṣasya hi
saḿsāras tan-nibandho 'yaḿ puḿso vidyā cchid ātmanaḥ

SYNONYMS
yaḥ — which; asau — that(subtle body); guṇaiḥ — by the material modes; viracitaḥ — constructed; dehaḥ
— the body; ayam — this (gross body); puruṣasya — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; hi —
certainly; saḿsāraḥ — material existence; tat-nibandhaḥ — tied to that; ayam — this; puḿsaḥ — of the
living entity; vidyā — knowledge; chit — that which cuts apart; ātmanaḥ — of the soul.
 TRANSLATION
The subtle and gross material bodies are created by the material modes of nature, which expand from
the potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Material existence occurs when the living entity
falsely accepts the qualities of the gross and subtle bodies as being his own factual nature. This illusory
state, however, can be destroyed by real knowledge.

PURPORT
Regarding the analogy comparing fire and its fuel to the soul and the body, one may argue that to some
extent fire is dependent upon its fuel and cannot exist without it. Since we do not experience the existence
of fire independent of fuel, one may therefore still question how it is possible for the living entity to exist
separately from the body, become covered by it and eventually become free from it. Only through the
Supreme Personality of Godhead's knowledge potency (vidyā) can one clearly understand the nature of the
living entity. By vidyā, or real knowledge, one may cut material existence to pieces and even in this lifetime
experience spiritual reality. According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, our material existence is an
artificial imposition. By the Lord's inconceivable potency of nescience, the qualities of gross and subtle
material forms are psychologically imposed upon the living being, and because of misidentification with the
body, the living entity initiates a series of illusory activities. As explained in the previous chapter, the
present material body is like a tree that produces the karmic seed of the next body. However, this cycle of
ignorance can be cut to pieces by the transcendental knowledge explained by the Lord.
Unfortunately, the conditioned souls, being inimical to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, do not accept
the perfect knowledge spoken by the Lord. Instead they remain absorbed in gross and subtle illusion. But if
the living entity accepts the Lord's knowledge, his whole situation can be rectified, and he can return to his
original, eternal, blissful life of perfect knowledge in the direct association of the Lord.

SB 11.10.11
tasmāj jijñāsayātmānam ātma-sthaḿ kevalaḿ param
sańgamya nirased etadvastu-buddhiḿ yathā-kramam

SYNONYMS
tasmāt — therefore; jijñāsayā — by the cultivation of knowledge; ātmānam — the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; ātma — within oneself; stham — situated; kevalam — pure; param — transcendental and
supreme; sańgamya — approaching by realized knowledge; niraset — one should give up; etat — this;
vastu — within material objects; buddhim — concept of reality; yathā-kramam — gradually, step by step.

TRANSLATION
Therefore, by the cultivation of knowledge one should approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead
situated within oneself. By understanding the Lord's pure, transcendental existence, one should
gradually give up the false vision of the material world as independent reality.

PURPORT
The word yathā-kramam ("step by step") means that after first realizing oneself to be different from the
gross material body one should then progressively detach oneself from material mental activities. In this
verse etad vastu-buddhim means seeing the material world as existing independently rather than correctly
seeing all things as emanations of the Absolute Truth.
When one correctly identifies oneself as eternal spiritual form, one achieves the real fruit of knowledge.
The Lord is eternally manifest in His eternal form, and the living entity is similarly manifest in his eternal
form as the loving servitor of the Lord. When we falsely assume that temporary, illusory material objects
are real, knowledge of our eternal spiritual form is covered by ignorance. If, however, one meditates upon
the Lord's supreme presence within everything, one can return to the normal, blissful state of spiritual life.
Every human being should seriously endeavor to understand the Absolute Truth, as indicated in this verse
by the word jijñāsayā.

SB 11.10.12
ācāryo 'raṇir ādyaḥ syād ante-vāsy uttarāraṇiḥ
 tat-sandhānaḿ pravacanaḿ vidyā-sandhiḥ sukhāvahaḥ

SYNONYMS
ācāryaḥ — the spiritual master; araṇiḥ — sacred kindling wood used in the sacrificial fire; ādyaḥ — held
beneath; syāt — is to be considered; ante-vāsī — the disciple; uttara — at the top; araṇiḥ — kindling wood;
tat-sandhānam — the stick in the middle, which connects the upper and lower wood; pravacanam —
instructions; vidyā — transcendental knowledge; sandhiḥ — like the fire, arising from the friction, that
spreads throughout the firewood; sukha — happiness; āvahaḥ — bringing.

TRANSLATION
The spiritual master can be compared to the lower kindling stick, the disciple to the upper kindling stick,
and the instruction given by the guru to the third stick placed in between. The transcendental knowledge
communicated from guru to disciple is compared to the fire arising from the contact of these, which
burns the darkness of ignorance to ashes, bringing great happiness both to guru and disciple.

PURPORT
When the darkness of ignorance is burned to ashes, the dangerous life of ignorance is also eradicated, and
one can work for his true self-interest in full knowledge. In this verse the word ādyaḥ means "original" and
it indicates the spiritual master, who is compared to the sacred kindling stick held below. From the spiritual
master transcendental knowledge, like fire, is spread to the disciple. Just as friction between two sticks of
firewood produces fire, similarly, bona fide contact between the spiritual master, who is the representative
of Kṛṣṇa, and a sincere disciple produces the fire of knowledge. When the disciple takes shelter of the lotus
feet of the spiritual master, he automatically acquires perfect knowledge of his original, spiritual form.

SB 11.10.13
vaiśāradī sāti-viśuddha-buddhir
dhunoti māyāḿ guṇa-samprasūtām
gunāḿś ca sandahya yad-ātmam etat
svayaḿ ca śāḿyaty asamid yathāgniḥ

SYNONYMS
vaiśāradī — available from the expert; sā — this; ati-viśuddha — most pure; buddhiḥ — intelligence or
knowledge; dhunoti — repels; māyām — illusion; guṇa — from the modes of material nature; samprasūtām
— produced; guṇān — the modes of nature themselves; ca — also; sandahya — completely burning up; yat
— from which modes; ātmam — constituted; etat — this (material existence); svayam — itself; ca — also;
śāḿyati — is pacified; asamit — without fuel; yathā — just as; agniḥ — fire.

TRANSLATION
By submissively hearing from an expert spiritual master, the expert disciple develops pure knowledge,
which repels the onslaught of material illusion arising from the three modes of material nature. Finally
this pure knowledge itself ceases, just as fire ceases when the stock of fuel has been consumed.

PURPORT
The Sanskrit word vaiśāradī means "that which is derived from the expert [viśārada]." Perfect
transcendental knowledge comes from the expert spiritual master, and when such knowledge is heard by
the expert disciple, it curbs the waves of material illusion. Since the Lord's illusory energy acts eternally
within the material world, there is no possibility of destroying illusion. One may, however, destroy the
presence of illusion within one's own heart. To accomplish this the disciple must become expert in pleasing
the expert spiritual master. As one advances to the perfectional stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, experiencing
the presence of the Lord everywhere, one's attention shifts to the transcendental platform. At that time,
pure knowledge itself, one's constant technical awareness of illusion, diminishes, just as fire diminishes and
is extinguished after consuming its stock of fuel.
Śrīla Madhvācārya has quoted from several Vedic scriptures to show that māyā, or material illusion, is just
like a witch who always haunts the conditioned souls. Māyā offers the conditioned souls whatever they like
within the three modes of nature, but such offerings are all just like fire that burns the heart to ashes.
Therefore, one must understand that the material world is a hellish place, offering a permanent situation to
no one. Externally we experience many things, and internally we contemplate our experience, formulating
 plans for future action. Thus internally and externally we are victims of ignorance. Real knowledge comes
from the Vedas, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form of perfect wisdom. If we become fully
Kṛṣṇa conscious, taking complete shelter of the Lord, there will be no scarcity of pleasure, because the Lord
is the reservoir of all pleasure, and His devotees freely move within that reservoir.

SB 11.10.14-16
athaiṣām karma-kartṝṇāḿ bhoktṝṇāḿ sukha-duḥkhayoḥ
nānātvam atha nityatvaḿ loka-kālāgamātmanām
manyase sarva-bhāvānāḿ saḿsthā hy autpattikī yathā
tat-tad-ākṛti-bhedena jāyate bhidyate ca dhīḥ
evam apy ańga sarveṣāḿ dehināḿ deha-yogataḥ
kālāvayavataḥ santi bhāvā janmādayo 'sakṛt

SYNONYMS
atha — thus; eṣām — of those; karma — fruitive activities; kartṝṇām — of the performers; bhoktṝṇām — of
the enjoyers; sukha-duḥkhayoḥ — of happiness and distress; nānātvam — variegatedness; atha —
moreover; nityatvam — perpetual existence; loka — of the materialistic world; kāla — material time;
āgama — Vedic literatures recommending fruitive activities; ātmanām — and the self; manyase — if you
think; sarva — of all; bhāvānām — material objects; saḿsthā — the actual situation; hi — certainly;
autpattikī — original; yathā — as; tat-tat — of all different objects; ākṛti — of their forms; bhedena — by
the difference; jāyate — is born; bhidyate — and changes; ca — also; dhīḥ — intelligence or knowledge;
evam — thus; api — even though; ańga — O Uddhava; sarveṣām — of all; dehinām — embodied beings;
deha-yogataḥ — by contact with a material body; kāla — of time; avayavataḥ — by the portions or limbs;
santi — there are; bhāvāḥ — states of existence; janma — birth; ādayaḥ — and so on; asakṛt —
constantly.

TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, I have thus explained to you perfect knowledge. There are philosophers, however,
who challenge My conclusion. They state that the natural position of the living entity is to engage in
fruitive activities, and they see him as the enjoyer of the happiness and unhappiness that accrue from his
own work. According to this materialistic philosophy, the world, time, the revealed scriptures and the
self are all variegated and eternal, existing as a perpetual flow of transformations. Knowledge, moreover,
cannot be one or eternal, because it arises from the different and changing forms of objects; thus
knowledge itself is always subject to change. Even if you accept such a philosophy, My dear Uddhava,
there will still be perpetual birth, death, old age and disease, since all living entities must accept a
material body subject to the influence of time.

PURPORT
In this verse, according to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Lord Kṛṣṇa speaks the following to Uddhava.
"My dear Uddhava, I have clearly established the actual goal of life in the instructions I have just imparted
to you. There are those, however, who challenge My conclusion, especially the followers of Jaimini Kavi. If
you are favorable to their understanding and thus do not accept My instructions, then kindly hear the
following explanation.
"According to the followers of Jaimini, the living entity is originally and naturally a performer of fruitive
activities, and his happiness and distress are derived from the fruits of his own work. The world in which
the living entities find their enjoyment, the time during which they enjoy, the revealed scriptures that
explain the means for achieving enjoyment, and the subtle bodies through which the living entities
experience enjoyment all exist not only in manifold variety but also eternally.
"The living entity need not develop detachment from material sense gratification, either by seeing the
temporariness of individual material objects and situations or by seeing the material world as an illusory
creation (māyā). According to such materialistic philosophy, material objects such as garlands, sandalwood
or beautiful women are temporary in specific manifestations but perpetually exist through the natural flow
of creation and destruction. In other words, although a particular woman's form is temporary, there will
eternally be beautiful women within the material world. Thus, by carefully executing fruitive rituals
according to religious scriptures, one can maintain enjoyable contact with women and wealth life after life.
In this way one's sense gratification will be eternal.
 "The Jaimini philosophers further say that there never was a time when the world did not exist as it does
today, which implies that there is no supreme controller who has created it. They claim that the
arrangement of this world is real and appropriate and thus is not illusory. Moreover, they say that there is
no eternal knowledge of an original perpetual form of the soul. In fact, they say, knowledge arises not from
some absolute truth but from the differences among material objects. Knowledge therefore is not eternal
and is subject to change. The assumption hidden in this statement is that there is no spirit soul who
possesses eternal, constant knowledge of a single, unchanging reality. Rather, the nature of consciousness
or knowledge is that it undergoes constant transformation. They state, however, that eternality is not
refuted by the perpetually transforming nature of consciousness. Consciousness perpetually exists, they
say, but not in the same form.
"Thus, the followers of Jaimini conclude that the transformation of knowledge does not negate its
eternality; rather, they state that knowledge eternally exists within the perpetual nature of its
transformation. They therefore naturally come to the path of regulated sense gratification rather than the
path of renunciation, for in the state of mukti, or liberation, the living entity would not have any material
senses, and thus the transformation of material understanding would not be possible. Such philosophers
consider that the achievement of an unchanging state of mukti would stunt or paralyze the natural activity
of the living entity and thus would not be in his self-interest. The path of nivṛtti (aiming toward renunciation
and transcendence of the material world) is naturally not interesting to such materialistic philosophers.
Accepting for argument's sake the validity of such materialistic philosophy, one can easily demonstrate that
the path of regulated sense gratification brings many unwanted and miserable results to the living entity.
Therefore even from a materialistic viewpoint, detachment is desirable. Material time is divided into
different sections such as days, weeks, months and years, and by material time the living entity is
repeatedly forced to undergo the miseries of birth, death, old age and disease. That such real miseries
occur everywhere throughout the universe is well known." In this way, states Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī
Ṭhākura, Lord Kṛṣṇa has pointed out the defect of materialistic philosophy to Uddhava.
We may further elaborate that if one falsely accepts the atheistic philosophy of Jaimini and his innumerable
modern followers. then the living entity perpetually remains entangled in the anguish of birth, death, old
age and disease. This bogus, atheistic philosophy encourages material gratification as the only logical goal
of life, but the living entity will inevitably commit mistakes in the execution of regulated sense gratification
and eventually go to hell. The Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Kṛṣṇa, personally tells Uddhava that
this materialistic philosophy is false and irrelevant to the actual self-interest of the living entity.

SB 11.10.17
tatrāpi karmaṇāḿ kartur asvātantryaḿ ca lakṣyate
bhoktuś ca duḥkha-sukhayoḥ ko nv artho vivaśaḿ bhajet

SYNONYMS
tatra — in the matter of one's ability to obtain happiness; api — furthermore; karmaṇām — of fruitive
activities; kartuḥ — of the performer; asvātantryam — the lack of independence; ca — also; lakṣyate — is
clearly seen; bhoktuḥ — of the one who is trying to enjoy; ca — also; duḥkha-sukhayoḥ — happiness and
unhappiness; kaḥ — what; nu — indeed; arthaḥ — value; vivaśam — for one who is not in control; bhajet
— can be derived.

TRANSLATION
Although the performer of fruitive activities desires perpetual happiness, it is clearly observed that
materialistic workers are often unhappy and only occasionally satisfied, thus proving that they are not
independent or in control of their destiny. When a person is always under the superior control of
another, how can he expect any valuable results from his own fruitive actions?

PURPORT
Although materialistic persons reject Kṛṣṇa consciousness and instead pursue temporary sense
gratification, even that sense gratification is often beyond their reach. If a person could really control his
destiny, why would he create problems for himself? No intelligent person would impose death, old age or
disease upon himself or his loved ones. One should recognize that these unwanted miseries are forced
upon one by a higher power. Since we are all obviously under superior control, the atheistic philosophy
advising one to simply perform fruitive activities and create a happy life is most imperfect.
 Due to the influence of time, happiness and misery are created. When a woman becomes pregnant, her
husband, relatives and friends eagerly await the birth of the child. As time passes and the child is born,
everyone feels great happiness. But as the child grows into old age and eventually dies, that same passage
of time is a cause of suffering. Ignorant persons vainly seek help from scientists who work feverishly and
fruitlessly in their laboratories to stop death. In modern times, inventions have been created to eliminate
the inconveniences of life, but the maintenance and production of such conveniences has proven to be
unbearably inconvenient for hundreds of millions of people throughout the world. Only the most foolish
person will propose that there is no superior controller and that one can achieve favorable results by expert
performance of material activities. Ultimately all material activities are useless because they end in
annihilation. If one is driving a car but has only limited control, the situation is most dangerous and must
lead inevitably to disaster. Similarly, although we are trying to direct the material body to happiness, we are
not in full control of the bodily demands, and therefore there will inevitably be disaster. As stated in
Bhagavad-gītā (9.3),
aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa
aprāpya māḿ nivartante mṛtyu-saḿsāra-vartmani
"Those who are not faithful on the path of devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of foes, but
return to birth and death in this material world." If one is not a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the eventual result
of his activities is simply mṛtyu-saḿsāra — repeated birth and death.

SB 11.10.18
na dehināḿ sukhaḿ kiñcid vidyate viduṣām api
tathā ca duḥkhaḿ mūḍhānāḿ vṛthāhańkaraṇaḿ param

SYNONYMS
na — not; dehinām — of embodied beings; sukham — happiness; kiñcit — some; vidyate — there is;
viduṣām — of those who are intelligent; api — even; tathā — similarly; ca — also; duḥkham —
unhappiness; mūḍhānām — of the big fools; vṛthā — useless; ahańkaraṇam — false ego; param — only, or
completely.

TRANSLATION
It is observed within the material world that sometimes even an intelligent person is not happy.
Similarly, sometimes even a great fool is happy. The concept of becoming happy through expertly
performing material activities is simply a useless exhibition of false egotism.

PURPORT
It may be argued that an intelligent person can expertly perform pious activities within the material world
and thus never experience suffering, since unhappiness is caused by sinful or impious activities. However,
we often observe great suffering even among pious, intelligent persons, because they sometimes fail in the
execution of their duty and sometimes consciously or unconsciously perform a forbidden activity. With this
argument the Lord refutes the theory that simply on the strength of material piety one may remain
perpetually happy without Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
On the other hand, we observe that even the most foolish or sinful persons sometimes experience
happiness, because even those completely dedicated to sin sometimes accidentally perform pious activities
by inadvertently traveling through a holy place or helping a saintly person. The material creation of God is
so complex and bewildering that even those dedicated to piety sometimes commit sins, and even those
dedicated to sinful life sometimes perform pious actions. Therefore, within the material world we do not
find absolute happiness or unhappiness. Rather, every conditioned soul is hovering in confusion, without
perfect knowledge. Piety and sin are relative material ideas that bestow relative happiness and
unhappiness. Absolute happiness is experienced on the spiritual platform in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or
love of God. Thus material life is always ambiguous and relative, whereas Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the actual
platform of perfect happiness.

SB 11.10.19
yadi prāptiḿ vighātaḿ ca jānanti sukha-duḥkhayoḥ
te 'py addhā na vidur yogaḿ mṛtyur na prabhaved yathā
 SYNONYMS
yadi — if; prāptim — achievement; vighātam — removal; ca — also; jānanti — they know; sukha — of
happiness; duḥkhayoḥ — and of distress; te — they; api — still; addhā — directly; na — not; viduḥ — do
know; yogam — the process; mṛtyuḥ — death; na — not; prabhavet — would exert its power; yathā — by
which.

TRANSLATION
Even if people know how to achieve happiness and avoid unhappiness, they still do not know the process
by which death will not be able to exert its power over them.

PURPORT
If the so-called intelligent materialists know the means of achieving happiness and destroying unhappiness,
then they should deliver people from inevitable death. The scientists are busily working to solve this
problem, but since they have completely failed, it is understood that they are not actually intelligent and
that they do not know the means of achieving happiness and eliminating misery. It is most foolish to think
that one can be happy with an ax hanging over one's neck. Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-
haraś cāham: "I Myself come before you as death and take everything away." We should not blindly ignore
the disaster of material life, but should instead accept the Lord's causeless mercy, which He so
magnanimously offers in His incarnation as Caitanya Mahāprabhu,. We should surrender to the lotus feet of
Lord Caitanya, who offers the real means for achieving unqualified happiness: the chanting of the holy
names of the Lord. This is the Lord's desire, and it is in our own self-interest to take up this process.

SB 11.10.20
ko 'nv arthaḥ sukhayaty enaḿ kāmo vā mṛtyur antike
āghātaḿ nīyamānasya vadhyasyeva na tuṣṭi-daḥ

SYNONYMS
kaḥ — what; nu — certainly; arthaḥ — material object; sukhayati — gives happiness; enam — to a person;
kāmaḥ — sense gratification derived from material things; vā — or; mṛtyuḥ — death; antike — standing
nearby; āghātam — to the place of execution; nīyamānasya — of one who is being led; vadhyasya — of one
who is to be killed; iva — like; na — not at all; tuṣṭi-daḥ — gives satisfaction.

TRANSLATION
Death is not st all pleasing, and since everyone is exactly like a condemned man being led to the place of
execution, what possible happiness can people derive from material objects or the gratification they
provide?

PURPORT
It is customary throughout the world that a condemned man is offered a sumptuous last meal. For the
condemned man, however, such a feast is a chilling reminder of his imminent death, and therefore he
cannot enjoy it. Similarly, no sane human being can be satisfied in material life, because death is standing
near and may strike at any moment. If one is sitting in one's living room with a deadly snake at one's side,
knowing that at any moment the poisonous fangs might pierce the flesh, how can one sit peacefully and
watch television or read a book? Similarly, unless one is more or less crazy, one cannot be enthusiastic or
even peaceful in material life. Knowledge of the inevitability of death should encourage one to become
determined in spiritual life.

SB 11.10.21
śrutaḿ ca dṛṣṭa-vad duṣṭaḿ spardhāsūyātyaya-vyayaiḥ
bahv-antarāya-kāmatvāt kṛṣi-vac cāpi niṣphalam

SYNONYMS
śrutam — material happiness which is heard of; ca — also; dṛṣṭa-vat — just like that which we have already
seen; duṣṭam — is contaminated; spardhā — by jealousy; asūyā — by envy; atyaya — by death; vyayaiḥ —
and by decay; bahu — many; antarāya — obstacles; kāmatvāt — because of accepting happiness with such
characteristics; kṛṣi-vat — like agriculture; ca — also; api — even; niṣphalam — fruitless.
 TRANSLATION
That material happiness of which we hear, such as promotion to heavenly planets for celestial
enjoyment, is just like that material happiness we have already experienced. Both are polluted by
jealousy, envy, decay and death. Therefore, just as an attempt to raise crops becomes fruitless if there
are many problems like crop disease, insect plague or drought, similarly, the attempt to attain material
happiness, either on earth or on the heavenly planets, is always fruitless because of innumerable
obstacles.

PURPORT
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura comments as follows on this verse. "Ordinarily, if there is no
specific impediment, agricultural endeavors will yield their fruits. If, however, there is a defect in the seed,
or if the soil is too salty or barren, or if there is drought, plague, excessive rain or heat out of season, or if
there are disturbances caused by animals, birds or insects, then agricultural activities will not yield the
desired harvest. Similarly, those who are expert in analyzing the material world see that the heavenly
situations offered in the Vedas are not basically different from life on the earth. By the interaction of
conditioned souls there will inevitably be jealousy as one becomes distinguished as superior and another as
inferior. By the power of time these positions are reversed, and therefore violence and intrigue disturb life
even on the heavenly planets. In fact, the attempt to promote oneself to the heavenly planets is itself full of
problems and disturbances. One should therefore understand that the kingdom of God, Vaikuṇṭha, is
transcendental to the limitations and disturbances imposed by the laws of material nature in this world. If
one wrongly concludes that such imperfections are also present in the kingdom of God, then one will be
polluted by material contamination."

SB 11.10.22
antarāyair avihito yadi dharmaḥ sv-anuṣṭhitaḥ
tenāpi nirjitaḿ sthānaḿ yathā gacchati tac chṛṇu

SYNONYMS
antarāyaiḥ — by obstacles and discrepancies; avihitaḥ — not affected; yadi — if; dharmaḥ — one's
execution of regulated duties according to Vedic injunctions; sv-anuṣṭhitaḥ — excellently performed; tena
— by that; api — even; nirjitam — accomplished; sthānam — status; yathā — the manner in which;
gacchati — it perishes; tat — that; śṛṇu — please hear.

TRANSLATION
If one performs Vedic sacrifices and fruitive rituals without any mistake or contamination, one will
achieve a heavenly situation in the next life. But even this result, which is only achieved by perfect
performance of fruitive rituals, will be vanquished by time. Now hear of this.

PURPORT
The word gacchati means "going." In Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa states, āgamāpāyino 'nityāḥ: all material
experiences, good or bad, come and go. Therefore the word gacchati refers to the disappearance of the
results of even the most meticulously performed fruitive sacrifices. Any material situation, from the worst
to the best, is imperfect. Thus one should strive only for pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

SB 11.10.23
iṣṭveha devatā yajñaiḥ svar-lokaḿ yāti yājñikaḥ
bhuñjīta deva-vat tatra bhogān divyān nijārjitān

SYNONYMS
iṣṭvā — having worshiped; iha — in this world; devatāḥ — the demigods; yajñaiḥ — with sacrifices; svaḥ-
lokam — to the heavenly planets; yāti — goes; yājñikaḥ — the performer of sacrifice; bhuñjīta — he may
enjoy; deva-vat — like a god; tatra — therein; bhogān — pleasures; divyān — celestial; nija — by himself;
arjitān — achieved.

TRANSLATION
If on earth one performs sacrifices for the satisfaction of the demigods, he goes to the heavenly planets,
where, just like a demigod, he enjoys all of the heavenly pleasures he has earned by his performances.
 SB 11.10.24
sva-puṇyopacite śubhre vimāna upagīyate
gandharvair viharan madhye devīnāḿ hṛdya-veṣa-dhṛk

SYNONYMS
sva — his own; puṇya — by the pious activities; upacite — accumulated; śubhre — shining; vimāne — in an
airplane; upagīyate — is glorified by songs; gandharvaiḥ — by the heavenly Gandharvas; viharan —
enjoying life; madhye — in the middle; devīnām — of heavenly goddesses; hṛdya — charming; veṣa —
clothes; dhṛk — wearing.

TRANSLATION
Having achieved the heavenly planets, the performer of ritualistic sacrifices travels in a glowing airplane,
which he obtains as the result of his piety on earth. Being glorified by songs sung by the Gandharvas and
dressed in wonderfully charming clothes, he enjoys life surrounded by heavenly goddesses.

SB 11.10.25
strībhiḥ kāmaga-yānena kińkinī-jāla-mālinā
krīḍan na vedātma-pātaḿ surākrīḍeṣu nirvṛtaḥ

SYNONYMS
strībhiḥ — with heavenly women; kāma-ga — going wherever one desires; yānena — with such an
airplane; kińkiṇī-jāla-mālinā — decorated with circles of bells; krīḍan — having a good time; na — not; veda
— does consider; ātma — his own; pātam — falldown; sura — of the demigods; ākrīḍeṣu — in the pleasure
gardens; nirvṛtaḥ — being comfortable, relaxed and happy.

TRANSLATION
Accompanied by heavenly women, the enjoyer of the fruits of sacrifice goes on pleasure rides in a
wonderful airplane, which is decorated with circles of tinkling bells and which flies wherever he desires.
Being relaxed, comfortable and happy in the heavenly pleasure gardens, he does not consider that he is
exhausting the fruits of his piety and will soon fall down to the mortal world.

SB 11.10.26
tāvat sa modate svarge yāvat puṇyaḿ samāpyate
kṣīṇa-punyaḥ pataty arvāg anicchan kāla-cālitaḥ

SYNONYMS
tāvat — that long; saḥ — he; modate — enjoys life; svarge — in the heavenly planets; yāvat — until;
puṇyam — his pious results; samāpyate — are used up; kṣīṇa — exhausted; puṇyaḥ — his piety; patati —
he falls; arvāk — down from heaven; anicchan — not desiring to fall; kāla — by time; cālitaḥ — pushed
down.

TRANSLATION
Until his pious results are used up, the performer of sacrifice enjoys life in the heavenly planets. When
the pious results are exhausted, however, he falls down from the pleasure gardens of heaven, being
moved against his desire by the force of eternal time.

SB 11.10.27-29
yady adharma-rataḥ sańgād asatāḿ vājitendriyaḥ
kāmātmā kṛpaṇo lubdhaḥ straiṇo bhūta-vihiḿsakaḥ
paśūn avidhinālabhya preta-bhūta-gaṇān yajan
narakān avaśo jantur gatvā yāty ulbaṇaḿ tamaḥ
karmāṇi duḥkhodarkāṇi kurvan dehena taiḥ punaḥ
deham ābhajate tatra kiḿ sukhaḿ martya-dharmiṇaḥ
 SYNONYMS
yadi — if; adharma — in irreligion; rataḥ — he is engaged; sańgāt — due to association; asatām — of
materialistic people; vā — or; ajita — due to not conquering; indriyaḥ — the senses; kāma — material lusty
desires; ātmā — living for; kṛpaṇaḥ — miserly; lubdhaḥ — greedy; straiṇaḥ — a woman-hunter; bhūta —
against other living beings; vihiḿsakaḥ — committing violence; paśūn — animals; avidhinā — without the
authority of Vedic injunctions; ālabhya — killing; preta-bhūta — ghosts and spirits; gaṇān — the groups of;
yajan — worshiping; narakān — to hells; avaśaḥ — helplessly, being under the control of fruitive activities;
jantuḥ — a living being; gatvā — having gone; yāti — approaches; ulbaṇam — extreme; tamaḥ — darkness;
karmāṇi — activities; duḥkha — great unhappiness; udarkāṇi — bringing in the future; kurvan —
performing; dehena — with such a body; taiḥ — by such activities; punaḥ — again; deham — a material
body; ābhajate — accepts; tatra — therein; kim — what; sukham — happiness; martya — always leading to
death; dharmiṇaḥ — of one sworn to activities.

TRANSLATION
If a human being is engaged in sinful, irreligious activities, either because of bad association or because of
his failure to control his senses, then such a person will certainly develop a personality full of material
desires. He thus becomes miserly toward others, greedy and always anxious to exploit the bodies of
women. When the mind is so polluted one becomes violent and aggressive and without the authority of
Vedic injunctions slaughters innocent animals for sense gratification. Worshiping ghosts and spirits, the
bewildered person falls fully into the grip of unauthorized activities and thus goes to hell, where he
receives a material body infected by the darkest modes of nature. In such a degraded body, he
unfortunately continues to perform inauspicious activities that greatly increase his future unhappiness,
and therefore he again accepts a similar material body. What possible happiness can there be for one
who engages in activities inevitably terminating in death?

PURPORT
In the Vedic analysis of civilized life there are two paths. One who takes to the path of nivṛtti-mārga
immediately renounces material sense gratification and purifies his existence by performance of austerity
and devotional activities. On the path of pravṛtti-mārga one furnishes a steady supply of sense objects to
the senses, but one consumes such sense objects under strict regulations and through ritualistic
ceremonies, thus gradually purifying the heart and satiating the material senses. Unfortunately, as
explained in this and the previous verse, the path of pravṛtti-mārga is extremely volatile because rather
than becoming detached, the living entity often becomes uncontrolled and fully addicted to further sense
gratification. In the previous verse the path of regulated, authorized sense gratification was described, and
in this verse the path of unauthorized, demoniac sense gratification is described.
In this verse, the words sańgād asatāḿ vājitendriyaḥ are very significant. One may fall down into sinful life
by bad association, or even in good association one may fail to control his senses. Ultimately each living
entity is responsible for his existential situation. The word adharma-rataḥ in this verse indicates those
engaged in excessive sex life, meateating, drinking and other inauspicious activities that transgress the
codes of civilized human life. Being in the mode of ignorance, these persons develop such a cruel mentality
that they do not consider any festive occasion complete without the consumption of large quantities of
meat obtained by slaughtering helpless animals. Eventually such persons become influenced by ghosts and
spirits, who deprive them of all ability to discriminate between right and wrong. Losing all sense of decency,
they become fit candidates for entrance into the darkest modes of material existence. Sometimes these
lusty, intoxicated carnivores, considering themselves pious, pray to God in a useless way. Afflicted by
innumerable material desires, they rotate from one material body to another without experiencing true
happiness. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has noted that material life is so disturbing that even if
one is allowed to live for an entire day of Brahmā — approximately 8,640,000,000 years — one will
eventually be afflicted by the fear of death. In fact, Brahmā himself is disturbed by fear of death, what to
speak of tiny human beings who live a paltry seventy or eighty years at most. Thus, as stated here, kiḿ
sukhaḿ martya-dharmiṇaḥ: what possible happiness can one find within the painful grip of material
illusion?

SB 11.10.30
lokānāḿ loka-pālānāḿ mad bhayaḿ kalpa-jīvinām
brahmaṇo 'pi bhayaḿ matto dvi-parārdha-parāyuṣaḥ
 SYNONYMS
lokānām — in all the planetary systems; loka-pālānām — and for all the planetary leaders, such as the
demigods; mat — of Me; bhayam — there is fear; kalpa-jīvinām — for those who live for a kalpa, or a day of
Brahmā; brahmaṇaḥ — of Lord Brahmā; api — even; bhayam — there is fear; mattaḥ — from Me; dvi-
parārdha — two parārdhas, totalling 311,040,000,000,000 years; para — supreme; āyuṣaḥ — whose
duration of life.

TRANSLATION
In all the planetary systems, from the heavenly to the hellish, and for all of the great demigods who live
for one thousand yuga cycles, there is fear of Me in My form of time. Even Brahmā, who possesses the
supreme life span of 311,040,000,000,000 years, is also afraid of Me.

PURPORT
There are many statements throughout Vedic literature proving that even the great demigods fear the time
potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even in the heavenly planets there is no relief from the
miseries of material life. No conditioned soul can live eternally, as clearly demonstrated by the deaths of
Hiraṇyakaśipu and other demons. Since even the demigods fear the time potency of the Personality of
Godhead, one may easily conclude that Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth and that He is eternally the supreme
controller of everything and everyone. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the only real shelter.

SB 11.10.31
guṇāḥ sṛjanti karmāṇi guṇo 'nusṛjate guṇān
jīvas tu guṇa-saḿyukto bhuńkte karma-phalāny asau

SYNONYMS
guṇāḥ — the material senses; sṛjanti — create; karmāṇi — pious and impious material activities; guṇaḥ —
the three modes of nature; anusṛjate — set into motion; guṇān — the material senses; jīvaḥ — the minute
living entity; tu — indeed; guṇa — the material senses or the material modes of nature; saḿyuktaḥ — fully
engaged in; bhuńkte — experiences; karma — of activities; phalāni — the various results; asau — the spirit
soul.

TRANSLATION
The material senses create material activities, either pious or sinful, and the modes of nature set the
material senses into motion. The living entity, being fully engaged by the material senses and modes of
nature, experiences the various results of fruitive work.

PURPORT
It has been explained in the previous verses that the living entity under the control of fruitive activities is
pushed down into a hellish condition of life. In this verse the exact nature of the living entity's dependence
on fruitive activities is described. One can observe that one's activities are performed by the material
senses and that the living entity himself is merely conscious of such activities. One may be worshiping the
demigods, enjoying sex or performing agricultural or intellectual activities, but in all cases the material
senses are performing the work.
One may argue that the spirit soul initiates the activities of the senses and thus is the ultimate doer, but
such false egotism is negated in this verse by the statement guṇāḥ sṛjanti karmāṇi guṇo 'nusṛjate guṇān.
The three modes of nature — goodness, passion and ignorance — stimulate the functions of the material
senses, and the living entity, coming under the control of a particular mode of nature, merely experiences
the good and bad results of his work. This does not negate the concept of free will, since the living entity
chooses to associate with different modes of nature. By one's eating, speaking, sexual activities,
occupation, etc., one associates with various modes of nature and acquires a particular mentality. But in all
cases the modes of nature themselves are acting, not the living entity. The word asau in this verse indicates
that the living entity falsely considers himself to be the performer of work carried out by nature. As stated
in Bhagavad-gītā (3.27):

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahańkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate
"The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be
the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature." The conditioned soul can be liberated
simply by giving up this false egoistic conception of life and taking to the devotional service of the Lord, by
which the living entity, or marginal potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, escapes the disturbing
influence of the external potency called māyā. In the devotional service of the Lord the liberated entity
realizes his actual form of eternity, knowledge and bliss.
It is natural to perform activities with a desire to achieve a good result. The best results, however, can be
attained by one who engages in the devotional service of the Lord with a desire to be reinstated in his
constitutional position as the Lord's loving servant. In this way the tendency to exploit one's own activities
for a particular result can be purified; then the modes of nature and the material senses will no longer
engage the living entity in illusion. The living entity is by nature blissful, and when his illusion ceases, all
suffering comes to an end. The liberated soul is then fit to reside in Vaikuṇṭha, the kingdom of God.

SB 11.10.32
yāvat syād guṇa-vaiṣamyaḿ tāvan nānātvam ātmanaḥ
nānātvam ātmano yāvat pāratantryaḿ tadaiva hi

SYNONYMS
yāvat — as long as; syāt — there is; guṇa — of the modes of material nature; vaiṣamyam — separate
existences; tāvat — then there will be; nānātvam — different states of existence; ātmanaḥ — of the soul;
nānātvam — different states of existence; ātmanaḥ — of the soul; yāvat — as long as there are;
pāratantryam — dependence; tadā — then there will be; eva — certainly; hi — indeed.

TRANSLATION
As long as the living entity thinks that the modes of material nature have separate existences, he will be
obliged to take birth in many different forms and will experience varieties of material existence.
Therefore, the living entity remains completely dependent on fruitive activities under the modes of
nature.

PURPORT
The word guṇa-vaiṣamyam indicates forgetfulness of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which causes one to see material varieties
as separate states of existence. The living entity, being attracted to material varieties and having faith in
them, is forced to experience these varieties in different material bodies, such as those of demigods, pigs,
businessmen, insects, and so on. According to the karma-mīmāḿsā philosophers, there is no
transcendental living entity who is the background of all existence. They accept material variety as the final
reality. However, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, is the actual basis of everything.
Everything is within Him, and He is within everything. A pure devotee of the Lord sees Kṛṣṇa everywhere
and sees all of the variegated modes of nature as the potency of Lord Kṛṣṇa. One who does not see Lord
Kṛṣṇa will certainly see material variegatedness as the supreme reality. Such vision is called māyā, or gross
illusion, and is similar to the vision of an animal. Pāratantryam means one will remain caught in the web of
fruitive activities unless one gives up this superficial, separatist vision.

SB 11.10.33
yāvad asyāsvatantratvaḿ tāvad īśvarato bhayam
ya etat samupāsīraḿs te muhyanti śucārpitāḥ

SYNONYMS
yāvat — as long as; asya — of the living being; asvatantratvam — there is no freedom from dependence on
the modes of nature; tāvat — then there will be; īśvarataḥ — from the supreme controller; bhayam —
fear; ye — those who; etat — to this material concept of life; samupāsīran — devote themselves; te —
they; muhyanti — are bewildered; śucā — in lamentation; arpitāḥ — always absorbed.

TRANSLATION
The conditioned soul who remains dependent on fruitive activities under the material modes of nature
will continue to fear Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, since I impose the results of one's fruitive
activities. Those who accept the material concept of life, taking the variegatedness of the modes of
 nature to be factual, devote themselves to material enjoyment and are therefore always absorbed in
lamentation and grief.

PURPORT
The living entity is bound in the network of illusion, but although he can understand that he is dependent
upon superior powers, he does not want to serve the Supreme Lord. He thus becomes filled with fear of life
itself. Desiring material sense gratification, the living entity, like the demon Kaḿsa, always fears destruction
of his material arrangement. Remaining addicted to the flavors of material nature, one gradually sinks
down into an irrational form of life.
Māyā has two potencies — the first covers the living entity, and the second throws him down into a hellish
condition of life. When one is covered by māyā, one loses all power of discrimination, and māyā then
throws such a fool into the darkness of ignorance. When one wrongly considers oneself to be independent
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, one becomes a worshiper of temporary material
objects, hoping to enjoy material sense gratification, and as one grows older, one's life becomes filled with
fear and anxiety. A conditioned soul considers himself to be in control of his life, but since he does not have
any actual controlling potency, his situation is contradictory and not at all pleasing. As all of one's material
possessions are taken away by time, one becomes filled with lamentation. All in all, material life is truly
abominable, and it is only because of dense illusion that we accept it as satisfactory.

SB 11.10.34
kāla ātmāgamo lokaḥ svabhāvo dharma eva ca
iti māḿ bahudhā prāhur guṇa-vyatikare sati

SYNONYMS
kālaḥ — time; ātmā — the self; āgamaḥ — Vedic knowledge; lokaḥ — the universe; svabhāvaḥ —
different natures of different living entities; dharmaḥ — religious principles; eva — certainly; ca — also; iti
— thus; mām — Me; bahudhā — in many ways; prāhuḥ — they call; guṇa — of the modes of nature;
vyatikare — agitation; sati — when there is.

TRANSLATION
When there is agitation and interaction of the material modes of nature, the living entities then describe
Me in various ways such as all-powerful time, the Self, Vedic knowledge, the universe, one's own nature,
religious ceremonies and so on.

PURPORT
One can experience the potency of the Personality of Godhead by observing how different species of life —
demigods, human beings, animals, fish, birds, insects, plants, etc. — gradually evolve their natures and
activities. Each species of life executes a particular process of sense gratification, and this function is called
the dharma of the species. Lacking knowledge of the Personality of Godhead, ordinary persons catch a
glimpse of the Lord's potencies in the above-mentioned manifestations. Śrīla Madhvācārya has cited the
following information from the Tantra-bhāgavata. The Lord is called kāla, or time, because He is the mover
and controller of all material qualities. Because He is complete and perfect, He is called ātmā, or the Self;
and He is the personification of all knowledge. The word svabhāva indicates that the Lord fully controls His
own destiny; and as the maintainer of everyone He is called dharma. One on the liberated platform can
achieve unlimited bliss by worshiping the Personality of Godhead, whereas those who are ignorant of the
Lord try to find meaning by concocting other objects of worship. If one stubbornly imagines that anything is
independent of the Lord, one will remain in the grip of the illusory network of the Lord's potency. Seeing
the inevitability of the destruction of material things, one is constantly fearful and perpetually laments in
the darkness of ignorance. In such darkness there is no question of happiness. Therefore, one should never
think that anything is independent of the Personality of Godhead. As soon as one considers anything to be
independent of the Lord, one is immediately gripped by the Lord's illusory network, called māyā. One
should always remain humble and obedient to the Personality of Godhead, even when one is liberated, and
thus one will achieve the supreme spiritual happiness.

SB 11.10.35
śrī-uddhava uvāca
guṇeṣu vartamāno 'pi deha-jeṣv anapāvṛtaḥ
 guṇair na badhyate dehī badhyate vā kathaḿ vibho

SYNONYMS
śrī-uddhavaḥ uvāca — Śrī Uddhava said; guṇeṣu — in the modes of material nature; vartamānaḥ — being
situated; api — although; deha — from the material body; jeṣu — born; anapāvṛtaḥ — being uncovered;
guṇaiḥ — by the modes of nature; na — not; badhyate — is bound; dehī — the living entity within the
material body; badhyate — is bound; vā — or; katham — how does it happen; vibho — O my Lord.

TRANSLATION
Śrī Uddhava said: O my Lord, a living entity situated within the material body is surrounded by the modes
of nature and the happiness and distress that are born of activities caused by these modes. How is it
possible that he is not bound by this material encirclement? It may also be said that the living entity is
ultimately transcendental and has nothing to do with the material world. Then how is he ever bound by
material nature?

PURPORT
Due to the influence of the modes of nature the material body generates fruitive activities, which in turn
generate material happiness and distress. This material chain reaction is indicated by the word deha-jeṣu.
The Personality of Godhead has shown Uddhava that the actual goal of life is liberation, not sense
gratification. Although the Lord has indicated that the living entity is liberated by devotional service
performed with knowledge and renunciation, Uddhava apparently does not understand the specific means
of perfection. According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Uddhava's question implies that we
observe even in the activities of liberated souls such external activities as eating, sleeping, walking, hearing,
speaking, etc., which are functions of the gross and subtle bodies. Thus, if even liberated souls are situated
within the gross and subtle material bodies, then how are they not bound by the material modes of nature?
If it is argued that the living entity is like the sky, which never mixes with any other object and therefore is
not bound, then one may ask how such a transcendental living entity can ever be bound by material nature.
In other words, how would material existence be possible? In order to completely clarify the path of Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, Uddhava presents this question to the supreme spiritual authority, Lord Kṛṣṇa.
In the kingdom of māyā there are innumerable speculations about the Supreme Lord, who is variously
described as nonexistent, or as possessing material qualities, or as being devoid of all qualities, or as being a
neuter object like a eunuch. But through mundane speculation it is not possible to understand the nature
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Uddhava wants to clear the path of spiritual liberation
so that people can actually understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As long as one is
affected by the modes of nature, perfect understanding is not possible. Lord Kṛṣṇa will now describe to
Uddhava further details of spiritual emancipation on the road back home, back to Kṛṣṇa.

SB 11.10.36-37
kathaḿ varteta viharet kair vā jñāyeta lakṣaṇaiḥ
kiḿ bhuñjītota visṛjec chayītāsīta yāti vā
etad acyuta me brūhi praśnaḿ praśna-vidāḿ vara
nitya-baddho nitya-mukta eka eveti me bhramaḥ

SYNONYMS
katham — in what way; varteta — he is situated; viharet — he enjoys; kaiḥ — by which; vā — or; jñāyeta —
would be known; lakṣaṇaiḥ — by symptoms; kim — what; bhuñjīta — he would eat; uta — and; visṛjet —
would evacuate; śayīta — would lie down; āsīta — would sit; yāti — goes; vā — or; etat — this; acyuta — O
Acyuta; me — to me; brūhi — explain; praśnam — the question; praśna-vidām — of all those who know
how to answer questions; vara — O the best; nitya-baddhaḥ — eternally conditioned; nitya-muktaḥ —
eternally liberated; ekaḥ — singular; eva — certainly; iti — thus; me — my; bhramaḥ — confusion.

TRANSLATION
O my Lord, Acyuta, the same living entity is sometimes described as eternally conditioned and at other
times as eternally liberated. I am not able to understand, therefore, the actual situation of the living
entity. You, my Lord, are the best of those who are expert in answering philosophical questions. Please
explain to me the symptoms by which one can tell the difference between a living entity who is eternally
liberated and one who is eternally conditioned. In what various ways would they remain situated, enjoy
life, eat, evacuate, lie down, sit or move about?

PURPORT
In previous verses Lord Kṛṣṇa has explained to Uddhava that an eternally liberated soul is beyond the three
modes of material nature. Since a liberated soul is considered to be beyond even the superior mode of
goodness, how can he be recognized? By false identification with the modes of nature, which produce one's
own material body, one is bound by illusion. On the other hand, by transcending the modes of nature, one
is liberated. However, in ordinary activities — such as eating, evacuating, relaxing, sitting and sleeping — a
liberated soul and a conditioned soul appear to be the same. Therefore Uddhava is inquiring, "By what
symptoms can I recognize that one living entity is performing such external activities without false ego, and
by what symptoms can I recognize one who is working under the illusory bondage of material
identification? This is difficult, because the ordinary bodily functions of liberated and conditioned
personalities appear similar." Uddhava has approached the Supreme Personality of Godhead, taking Him as
his personal spiritual master, and wants to be enlightened about how to understand the differences
between material and spiritual life.
Since the living entity is sometimes called eternally conditioned, how could he ever be considered eternally
liberated, or vice versa? This is an apparent contradiction, which will be cleared up by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
 Chapter 11: The Symptoms of Conditioned and Liberated Living Entities

SB 11.11.1
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
baddho mukta iti vyākhyā guṇato me na vastutaḥ
guṇasya māyā-mūlatvān na me mokṣo na bandhanam

SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; baddhaḥ — in bondage; muktaḥ —
liberated; iti — thus; vyākhyā — the explanation of the living entity; guṇataḥ — due to the modes of
material nature; me — which are My potency; na — not; vastutaḥ — in reality; guṇasya — of the modes of
material nature; māyā — My illusory energy; mūlatvāt — because of being the cause; na — not; me — of
Me; mokṣaḥ — liberation; na — nor; bandhanam — bondage.

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, due to the influence of the material modes
of nature, which are under My control, the living entity is sometimes designated as conditioned and
sometimes as liberated. In fact, however, the soul is never really bound up or liberated, and since I am
the supreme Lord of māyā, which is the cause of the modes of nature, I also am never to be considered
liberated or in bondage.

PURPORT
In this chapter the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, explains the different characteristics of
conditioned and liberated life, the symptoms by which one can recognize saintly persons, and the various
processes of devotional service to the Lord. In the previous chapter, Uddhava inquired from the Lord how
conditioned and liberated life are possible. The Lord now replies that Uddhava's question is somewhat
superficial, since the pure spirit soul is never entangled in the material energy of the Lord. The living entity
imagines a false connection with the three modes of nature and accepts the material body as the self. The
living entity therefore suffers the consequences of his own imagination, just as one suffers the illusory
activities of a dream. This does not indicate that the material world is illusory in the sense that it is
nonexistent. The material world is certainly real, being the potency of the Personality of Godhead, and the
living entity, being the superior potency of God, is also real. But the living entity's dream of being part and
parcel of the material world is an illusion that drags him into the contradictory state called material
conditioned life. The living entity is never actually baddha, or bound up, since he merely imagines a false
connection with the material world.
Because there is ultimately no permanent connection between the living entity and matter, there is no
actual liberation. The living entity, being eternally transcendental to the inferior material energy of the
Lord, is eternally liberated. Lord Kṛṣṇa reveals that in one sense the living entity is factually not bound up
and thus cannot be liberated. But in another sense, the terms bondage and liberation can be conveniently
applied to indicate the particular situation of the individual soul, who is the marginal potency of the Lord.
Although the individual soul is never actually bound to matter, he suffers the reactions of material nature
because of false identification, and thus the term baddha, or "bound up," may be used to indicate the
nature of a living entity's experience within the inferior energy of the Lord. Since baddha describes a false
situation, freedom from such a false situation may also be described as mokṣa, or liberation. Therefore the
terms bondage and liberation are acceptable if one understands that such terms only refer to temporary
situations created by illusion and do not refer to the ultimate nature of the living entity. In this verse Lord
Kṛṣṇa states, guṇasya māyā-mūlatvān na me mokṣo na bandhanam: the terms liberation and bondage can
never be applied to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, since He is the Absolute Truth and the supreme
controller of everything. Lord Kṛṣṇa is eternally the supreme transcendental entity, and He can never be
bound by illusion. It is the duty of the illusory potency of the Personality of Godhead to attract the living
 entities to ignorance by creating the false impression of a blissful existence separate from Lord Kṛṣṇa. The
illusory conception of existence apart from the Personality of Godhead is called māyā, or material illusion.
Since Lord Kṛṣṇa is the supreme absolute controller of māyā, there is no possibility that māyā could have
any influence over the Personality of Godhead. Thus the term bandhanam, or "bondage," cannot be
applied to the eternal, blissful and omniscient Personality of Godhead. The term mokṣa, or "liberation,"
indicating freedom from bandhana, is equally irrelevant to the Lord.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has commented on this verse as follows. The Supreme Personality
of Godhead is endowed with great spiritual potencies. Because of mundane concoction, the conditioned
soul imagines that the Absolute Truth is devoid of variegated spiritual potencies by which He may enjoy
blissful life. Although the living entity is the spiritual potency of the Lord, he is presently situated in the
inferior, illusory potency, and by engaging in mental speculation he becomes bound in conditioned life.
Liberation means that the living entity should transfer himself to the spiritual potency of the Lord, which
can be divided into three categories — hlādinī, the potency of bliss; sandhinī, the potency of eternal
existence; and saḿvit, the potency of omniscience. Since the Personality of Godhead is eternally endowed
with a pure existence of bliss and knowledge, He is never conditioned or liberated. The living entity,
however, being entangled in the Lord's material potency, is sometimes conditioned and sometimes
liberated.
The neutral, original state of the three modes of nature is called māyā. When the three modes of nature
interact, one of them will become powerful, subordinating the other two modes until another mode
becomes prominent. In this way, the three can be distinguished in their variety of manifestation. Although
the threefold material potency expands from the Personality of Godhead, the Lord Himself in His personal
form is the actual abode of the three spiritual potencies, namely eternality, bliss and knowledge. If one
desires to become free from the entanglement of conditioned life within the material sky, called the
kingdom of māyā, one must come to the spiritual sky, wherein the living entities are filled with bliss,
possess eternal spiritual bodies and engage in the loving devotional service of the Lord. By developing one's
eternal, spiritual form in the loving service of the Lord, one immediately transcends the duality of
conditioned life and impersonal liberation and can directly experience the spiritual potencies of the Lord. At
that time there is no possibility of false identification with the material world.
Realizing oneself to be eternal spirit soul, the living entity can understand that he is never truly connected
to matter, because he is part of the superior energy of the Lord. Therefore, both material bondage and
liberation are ultimately meaningless within the reality of the spiritual sky. The living entity is the marginal
potency of the Lord and should exercise his free will to engage in the pure devotional service of the Lord.
By reviving one's eternal, spiritual body one can understand oneself to be a minute particle of the spiritual
potency of the Lord. In other words, the living entity is a minute particle of eternity, bliss and omniscience,
and thus in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness there is no possibility of his being carried away by the illusion of the
three modes of nature. In conclusion, it may be stated that the individual living entity is never actually
entangled in matter and is thus not liberated, although his illusory state may be accurately described as
entangled and liberated. On the other hand, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternally situated in
His own spiritual potencies and can never be described as being bound up, and thus there is no meaning to
the concept of the Lord's freeing Himself from such a nonexistent condition.

SB 11.11.2
śoka-mohau sukhaḿ duḥkhaḿ dehāpattiś ca māyayā
svapno yathātmanaḥ khyātiḥ saḿsṛtir na tu vāstavī

SYNONYMS
śoka — lamentation; mohau — and illusion; sukham — happiness; duḥkham — distress; deha-āpattiḥ —
accepting a material body; ca — also; māyayā — by the influence of māyā; svapnaḥ — a dream; yathā —
just as; ātmanaḥ — of the intelligence; khyātiḥ — merely an idea; saḿsṛtiḥ — material existence; na — is
not; tu — indeed; vāstavī — real.

TRANSLATION
Just as a dream is merely a creation of one's intelligence but has no actual substance, similarly, material
lamentation, illusion, happiness, distress and the acceptance of the material body under the influence of
mayā are all creations of My illusory energy. In other words, material existence has no essential reality.
 PURPORT
The word deha-āpattiḥ indicates that the living entity falsely identifies himself with the external material
body and thus transmigrates from one body to another. Āpatti also indicates great suffering or misfortune.
Because of such false identification under the influence of illusion, the living entity experiences the
miserable symptoms described here. Māyā means the false concept that anything can exist without Lord
Kṛṣṇa or for any purpose other than the pleasure of the Supreme Lord. Although the conditioned living
entities are trying to enjoy material sense gratification, the result is always painful, and such painful
experiences turn the conditioned soul back toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words,
the ultimate purpose of the material creation is to bring the living entity back to the loving devotional
service of the Lord. Therefore, even the sufferings of the material world may be seen as the transcendental
mercy of the Personality of Godhead. The conditioned soul, imagining that material objects are meant for
his personal enjoyment, bitterly laments the loss of such objects. In this verse, the example is given of a
dream in which the material intelligence creates many illusory objects. Similarly, our polluted material
consciousness creates the false impression of material sense gratification, but this phantasmagoria, being
devoid of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, has no real existence. By surrendering to polluted material consciousness,
the living entity is afflicted with innumerable troubles. The only solution is to see Lord Kṛṣṇa within
everything and everything within Lord Kṛṣṇa. Thus, one understands that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the supreme
enjoyer, the proprietor of everything and the well-wishing friend of all living beings.
In material illusion there is no understanding of one's eternal, spiritual body, nor is there knowledge of the
Absolute Truth. Therefore, material existence, even in its most sophisticated or pious form, is always
foolishness. One should not misunderstand the example of the dream to mean that the material world has
no real existence. Material nature is the manifestation of the Lord's external potency, just as the spiritual
sky is the manifestation of the Lord's internal potency. Although material objects are subject to
transformation and thus have no permanent existence, the material energy is real because it comes from
the supreme reality, Lord Kṛṣṇa. It is only our false acceptance of the material body as the factual self and
our foolish dream that the material world is meant for our pleasure that have no real existence. They are
merely mental concoctions. One should cleanse oneself of material designations and wake up to the all-
pervading reality of the Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa.

SB 11.11.3
vidyāvidye mama tanū viddhy uddhava śarīriṇām
mokṣa-bandha-karī ādye māyayā me vinirmite

SYNONYMS
vidyā — knowledge; avidye — and ignorance; mama — My; tanū — manifested energies; viddhi — please
understand; uddhava — O Uddhava; śarīriṇām — of the embodied living entities; mokṣa — liberation;
bandha — bondage; karī — causing; ādye — original, eternal; māyayā — by the potency; me — My;
vinirmite — produced.

TRANSLATION
O Uddhava, both knowledge and ignorance, being products of māyā, are expansions of My potency. Both
knowledge and ignorance are beginningless and perpetually award liberation and bondage to embodied
living beings.

PURPORT
By the expansion of vidyā, or knowledge, a conditioned soul is liberated from the clutches of māyā, and
similarly, by the expansion of avidyā, or ignorance, the conditioned soul is driven further into illusion and
bondage. Both knowledge and ignorance are products of the mighty potency of the Personality of
Godhead. The living being is bound by illusion when he considers himself the proprietor of the subtle and
gross material bodies. According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī the living entity may be designated as jīva-māyā,
whereas matter is called guṇa-māyā. The living entity places his living potency (jīva-māyā) in the grip of the
mundane qualitative potency (guṇa-māyā) and falsely dreams that he is part and parcel of the material
world. Such an artificial mixture is called illusion or ignorance. When all of the Lord's potencies are correctly
perceived in their proper categories, the living entity is liberated from material bondage and returns to his
blissful eternal residence in the spiritual sky.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not different from His potencies, yet He is always above them as
the supreme controller. The Supreme Personality of Godhead may be designated as mukta, or liberated,
 only to indicate that He is eternally free from material contamination and never to indicate that the Lord
has been freed from actual entanglement in a material situation. According to Śrīla Madhvācārya, vidyā
indicates the goddess of fortune, the internal potency of the Lord, whereas avidyā indicates Durgā, the
external potency of the Lord. Ultimately, however, the Personality of Godhead can transform His potencies
according to His own desire, as explained by Śrīla Prabhupāda in his commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(1.3.34), "Because the Lord is the absolute Transcendence, all of His forms, names, pastimes, attributes,
associates and energies are identical with Him. His transcendental energy acts according to His
omnipotency. The same energy acts as His external, internal and marginal energies, and by His
omnipotency He can perform anything and everything through the agency of any of the above energies. He
can turn the external energy into internal by His will."
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī notes in this regard that although the Lord has explained in the first verse of this
chapter that the living entity is never actually in bondage, and therefore never actually liberated, one may
apply the terms bondage and liberation if one remembers that the living entity is eternally a transcendental
fragment of the Personality of Godhead. Further, one should not misinterpret the words māyayā me
vinirmite to indicate that both material bondage and liberation are temporary states, being creations of the
potency of the Lord. Therefore, the term ādye, or "primeval and eternal" is used in this verse. The vidyā and
avidyā potencies of the Lord are stated to be creations of māyā because they carry out the functions of the
Lord's potencies. The vidyā potency engages the living entities in the Lord's pastimes, whereas the avidyā
potency engages the living entities in forgetting the Lord and merging into darkness. Actually, both
knowledge and ignorance are eternal alternatives of the marginal potency of the Lord, and in this sense it is
not incorrect to state that the living entity is either eternally conditioned or eternally liberated. The term
vinirmite, or "produced," in this case indicates that the Lord expands His own energy as knowledge and
ignorance, which display the functions of the Lord's internal and external potencies. Such potential
exhibitions may appear and disappear in different times, places and circumstances, but material bondage
and spiritual freedom are eternal options of the marginal potency of the Lord.

SB 11.11.4
ekasyaiva mamāḿśasya jīvasyaiva mahā-mate
bandho 'syāvidyayānādir vidyayā ca tathetaraḥ

SYNONYMS
ekasya — of the one; eva — certainly; mama — My; aḿśasya — part and parcel; jīvasya — of the living
entity; eva — certainly; mahā-mate — O most intelligent one; bandhaḥ — bondage; asya — of him;
avidyayā — by ignorance; anādiḥ — beginningless; vidyayā — by knowledge; ca — and; tathā — similarly;
itaraḥ — the opposite of bondage, liberation.

TRANSLATION
O most intelligent Uddhava, the living entity, called jīva, is part and parcel of Me, but due to ignorance he
has been suffering in material bondage since time immemorial. By knowledge, however, he can be
liberated.

PURPORT
Just as the sun reveals itself through its own light or covers itself by creating clouds, the Personality of
Godhead reveals and covers Himself by knowledge and ignorance, which are expansions of His potency. As
stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.5):

apareyam itas tv anyāḿ prakṛtiḿ viddhi me parām

jīva-bhūtāḿ mahā-bāho yayedaḿ dhāryate jagat

"Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, consisting of all
living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe." Śrīla Prabhupāda
states in connection with this verse: "The Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa is the only controller, and all living entities
are controlled by Him. These living entities are His superior energy because the quality of their existence is
one and the same with the Supreme, but they are never equal to the Lord in quantity of power."
Because of quantitative inferiority of potency, the living entity becomes covered by māyā and is again
liberated by surrendering to the Lord. The word aḿśa, or "part and parcel" is also mentioned in Bhagavad-
 gītā (15.7): mamaivāḿśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ. The living entity is aḿśa, or a minute particle,
and therefore subject to liberation and bondage. As stated in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa:

viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā

avidyā-karma-saḿjñānyātṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate
[Cc. Madhya 6.154]

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, possesses His superior internal potency as well as the
potency called kṣetrajñā śakti. This kṣetrajñā śakti is also spiritual potency, but it is sometimes covered by
the third, or material, potency called ignorance. Thus because of the various stages of covering, the second,
or marginal, potency is manifested in different evolutionary phases."
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has written that the living entity has been executing fruitive activities since time
immemorial. Thus his conditioned life may be called beginningless. Such conditioned life, however, is not
endless, since the living entity may achieve liberation through the loving devotional service of the Lord.
Since the living entity may acquire liberation, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura states that his liberated life begins
at a certain point but is endless, because liberated life is understood to be eternal. In any case, one who has
achieved the shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, may be understood to be eternally
liberated, since such a person has entered into the eternal atmosphere of the spiritual sky. Since there is no
material time in the spiritual sky, one who has achieved his eternal spiritual body on Lord Kṛṣṇa's planet is
not subject to the influence of time. His eternal blissful life with Kṛṣṇa is not designated in terms of material
past, present and future and is therefore called eternal liberation. Material time is conspicuous by its
absence in the spiritual sky, and every living entity there is eternally liberated, having attained the supreme
situation. Such liberation can be achieved by vidyā, or perfect knowledge, which is understood in three
phases called Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān, as described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The ultimate phase
of vidyā, or knowledge, is to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In Bhagavad-gītā such
knowledge is called rāja-vidyā, or the king of all knowledge, and it awards the supreme liberation.

SB 11.11.5
atha baddhasya muktasya vailakṣaṇyaḿ vadāmi te
viruddha-dharmiṇos tāta sthitayor eka-dharmiṇi

SYNONYMS
atha — thus; baddhasya — of the conditioned soul; muktasya — of the liberated Personality of Godhead;
vailakṣaṇyam — different characteristics; vadāmi — I will now speak; te — unto you; viruddha — opposing;
dharmiṇoḥ — whose two natures; tāta — My dear Uddhava; sthitayoḥ — of the two who are situated; eka-
dharmiṇi — in the one body which manifests their different characteristics.

TRANSLATION
Thus, My dear Uddhava, in the same material body we find opposing characteristics, such as great
happiness and misery. That is because both the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is eternally
liberated, as well as the conditioned soul are within the body. I shall now speak to you about their
different characteristics.

PURPORT
In verse 36 of the previous chapter, Uddhava inquired about the different symptoms of liberated and
conditioned life. Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that the characteristics of bondage and liberation may be
understood in two divisions — as the difference between the ordinary conditioned soul and the eternally
liberated Personality of Godhead, or as the difference between conditioned and liberated living entities in
the jīva category. The Lord will first explain the difference between the ordinary living entity and the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, which may be understood as the difference between the controlled and
the controller.

SB 11.11.6
suparṇāv etau sadṛśau sakhāyau yadṛcchayaitau kṛta-nīḍau ca vṛkṣe
ekas tayoḥ khādati pippalānnam anyo niranno 'pi balena bhūyān

SYNONYMS
 suparṇau — two birds; etau — these; sadṛśau — similar; sakhāyau — friends; yadṛcchayā — by chance;
etau — these two; kṛta — made; nīḍau — a nest; ca — and; vṛkṣe — in a tree; ekaḥ — one; tayoḥ — of the
two; khādati — is eating; pippala — of the tree; annam — the fruits; anyaḥ — the other; nirannaḥ — not
eating; api — although; balena — by strength; bhūyān — He is superior.

TRANSLATION
By chance, two birds have made a nest together in the same tree. The two birds are friends and are of a
similar nature. One of them, however, is eating the fruits of the tree, whereas the other, who does not
eat the fruits, is in a superior position due to His potency.

PURPORT
The example of two birds in the same tree is given to illustrate the presence within the heart of the
material body of both the individual soul and the Supersoul, the Personality of Godhead. Just as a bird
makes a nest in a tree, the living entity sits within the heart. The example is appropriate because the bird is
always distinct from the tree. Similarly, both the individual soul and the Supersoul are distinct entities,
separate from the temporary material body. The word balena indicates that the Supreme Personality of
Godhead is satisfied by His own internal potency, which consists of eternality, omniscience and bliss. As
indicated by the word bhūyān, or "having superior existence," the Supreme Lord is always in a superior
position, whereas the living entity is sometimes in illusion and sometimes enlightened. The word balena
indicates that the Lord is never in darkness or ignorance, but is always full in His perfect, blissful
consciousness.
Thus, the Lord is niranna, or uninterested in the bitter fruits of material activities, whereas the ordinary
conditioned soul busily consumes such bitter fruits, thinking them to be sweet. Ultimately, the fruit of all
material endeavor is death, hut the living entity foolishly thinks material things will bring him pleasure. The
word sakhāyau, or "two friends," is also significant. Our real friend is Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is situated within our
heart. Only He knows our actual needs, and only He can give us real happiness.
Lord Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He patiently sits in the heart, trying to guide the conditioned soul back home,
back to Godhead. Certainly no material friend would remain with his foolish companion for millions of
years, especially if his companion were to ignore him or even curse him. But Lord Kṛṣṇa is such a faithful,
loving friend that He accompanies even the most demoniac living entity and is also in the heart of the
insect, pig and dog. That is because Lord Kṛṣṇa is supremely Kṛṣṇa conscious and sees every living entity as
part and parcel of Himself. Every living being should give up the bitter fruits of the tree of material
existence. One should turn one's face to the Lord within the heart and revive one's eternal loving
relationship with one's real friend, Lord Kṛṣṇa. The word sadṛśau, or "of similar nature," indicates that both
the living entity and the Personality of Godhead are conscious entities. As part and parcel of the Lord we
share the Lord's nature, but in infinitesimal quantity. Thus the Lord and the living entity are sadṛśau. A
similar statement is found in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (4.6):
dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyā samānaḿ vṛkṣaḿ pariṣasvajāte
tayor anyaḥ pippalaḿ svādy atty anaśnann anyo 'bhicākaśīti
"There are two birds in one tree. One of them is eating the fruits of the tree, while the other is witnessing
the actions. The witness is the Lord, and the fruit-eater is the living entity."

SB 11.11.7
ātmānam anyaḿ ca sa veda vidvān apippalādo na tu pippalādaḥ
yo 'vidyayā yuk sa tu nitya-baddho vidyā-mayo yaḥ sa tu nitya-muktaḥ

SYNONYMS
ātmānam — Himself; anyam — the other; ca — also; saḥ — He; veda — knows; vidvān — being omniscient;
apippala-adaḥ — not eating the fruits of the tree; na — not; tu — but; pippala-adaḥ — the one who is
eating the fruits of the tree; yaḥ — who; avidyayā — with ignorance; yuk — filled; saḥ — he; tu — indeed;
nitya — eternally; baddhaḥ — conditioned; vidyā mayaḥ — full of perfect knowledge; yaḥ — who; saḥ —
he; tu — indeed; nitya — eternally; muktaḥ — liberated.

TRANSLATION
The bird who does not eat the fruits of the tree is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who by His
omniscience perfectly understands His own position and that of the conditioned living entity,
represented by the eating bird. That living entity, on the other hand, does not understand himself or the
 Lord. He is covered by ignorance and is thus called eternally conditioned, whereas the Personality of
Godhead, being full of perfect knowledge, is eternally liberated.

PURPORT
The word vidyā-maya in this verse indicates the internal potency of the Lord and not the external potency,
mahā-māyā. Within the material world there is vidyā, or material science, and avidyā, or material
ignorance, but in this verse vidyā means the internal spiritual knowledge by which the Personality of
Godhead is fixed in omniscience. The example of two birds in a tree, which is given in many Vedic
literatures, demonstrates the statement nityo nityānām: there are two categories of eternal living entities,
namely the Supreme Lord and the minute jīva soul. The conditioned jīva soul, forgetting his identity as an
eternal servant of the Lord, tries to enjoy the fruits of his own activities and thus comes under the spell of
ignorance. This bondage of ignorance has existed since time immemorial and can be rectified only by one's
taking to the loving devotional service of the Lord, which is full of spiritual knowledge. In conditioned life
the living entity is forced by the laws of nature to engage in pious and impious fruitive activities, but the
liberated position of every living entity is to offer the fruits of his work to the Lord, the supreme enjoyer. It
should be understood that even when the living entity is in a liberated condition, his knowledge is never
equal in quantity to that of the Personality of Godhead. Even Lord Brahmā, the supreme living entity within
this universe, acquires only partial knowledge of the Personality of Godhead and His potencies. In
Bhagavad-gītā (4.5), the Lord explains His superior knowledge to Arjuna:
bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna
tāny ahaḿ veda sarvāṇi na tvaḿ vettha parantapa
"The Blessed Lord said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you
cannot, O subduer of the enemy!"
The term baddha, or "bound," is also understood to refer to the living entity's eternal dependence upon the
Lord, either in the conditioned or liberated state. In the kingdom of māyā the living entity is bound to the
cruel laws of birth and death, whereas in the spiritual sky the living entity is fixed in a bond of love to the
Lord. Liberation means freedom from the miseries of life, but never freedom from one's loving relationship
with Lord Kṛṣṇa, which is the essence of one's eternal existence. According to Śrīla Madhvācārya, the Lord is
the only eternally free living entity, and all other living entities are eternally dependent and bound to the
Lord, either through blissful loving service or through the bondage of māyā. The conditioned soul should
give up tasting the bitter fruits of the tree of material existence and turn to his dearmost friend, Lord Kṛṣṇa,
who is sitting within his heart. There is no pleasure equal to or greater than the pleasure of pure devotional
service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, and by tasting the fruit of love of Kṛṣṇa, the liberated living entity enters the ocean of
happiness.

SB 11.11.8
deha-stho 'pi na deha-stho vidvān svapnād yathotthitaḥ
adeha-stho 'pi deha-sthaḥ kumatiḥ svapna-dṛg yathā

SYNONYMS
deha — in the material body; sthaḥ — situated; api — although; na — not; deha — in the body; sthaḥ —
situated; vidvān — an enlightened person; svapnāt — from a dream; yathā — just as; utthitaḥ — having
risen; adeha — not in the body; sthaḥ — situated; api — although; deha — in the body; sthaḥ — situated;
ku-matiḥ — a foolish person; svapna — a dream; dṛk — seeing; yathā — just as.

TRANSLATION
One who is enlightened in self-realization, although living within the material body, sees himself as
transcendental to the body, just as one who has arisen from a dream gives up identification with the
dream body. A foolish person, however, although not identical with his material body but transcendental
to it, thinks himself to be situated in the body, just as one who is dreaming sees himself as situated in an
imaginary body.

PURPORT
In Lord Kṛṣṇa's discussion of the different characteristics of liberated and conditioned souls, the Lord first
clarified the distinction between the eternally liberated Personality of Godhead and the marginal potency,
the innumerable jīvas, who are sometimes conditioned and sometimes liberated. In this and the next nine
 verses, the Lord describes the different symptoms of liberated and conditioned jīva souls. In a dream one
sees oneself in an imaginary body, but upon waking one gives up all identification with that body. Similarly,
one who has awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness no longer identifies with the gross or subtle material bodies,
nor does he become affected by the happiness and distress of material life. On the other hand, a foolish
person (kumati) does not awaken from the dream of material existence and is afflicted with innumerable
problems due to false identification with the gross and subtle material bodies. One should become situated
in one's eternal spiritual identity (nitya-svarūpa). By properly identifying oneself as the eternal servant of
Kṛṣṇa, one becomes relieved of his false material identity, and therefore the miseries of illusory existence
immediately cease, just as the anxiety of a troublesome dream ceases as soon as one awakens to his
normal, pleasant surroundings. It should be understood, however, that the analogy of awakening from a
dream can never be applied to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is never in illusion. The Lord is
eternally awake and enlightened in His own unique category called viṣṇu-tattva. Such knowledge is easily
understood by one who is vidvān, or enlightened in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

SB 11.11.9
indriyair indriyārtheṣu guṇair api guṇeṣu ca
gṛhyamāṇeṣv ahaḿ kuryān na vidvān yas tv avikriyaḥ

SYNONYMS
indriyaiḥ — by the senses; indriya — of the senses; artheṣu — in the objects; guṇaiḥ — by those generated
from the modes of nature; api — even; guṇeṣu — in those generated by the same modes; ca — also;
gṛhyamāṇeṣu — as they are being accepted; aham — false ego; kuryāt — should create; na — not; vidvān
— one who is enlightened; yaḥ — who; tu — indeed; avikriyaḥ — is not affected by material desire.

TRANSLATION
An enlightened person who is free from the contamination of material desire does not consider himself
to be the performer of bodily activities; rather, he knows that in all such activities it is only the senses,
born of the modes of nature, that are contacting sense objects born of the same modes of nature.

PURPORT
Lord Kṛṣṇa makes a similar statement in Bhagavad-gītā (3.28):
tattva-vit tu mahā-bāho guṇa-karma-vibhāgayoḥ
guṇā guṇeṣu vartanta iti matvā na sajjate
"One who is in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, O mighty-armed, does not engage himself in the senses
and sense gratification, knowing well the difference between work in devotion and work for fruitive
results."
The material body always interacts with the sense objects, for in order to survive the body must eat, drink,
speak, sleep, and so on, but an enlightened person who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness never
thinks, "I am accepting these sense objects as my property. They are meant for my pleasure." Similarly, if
the body performs a wonderful activity, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not become proud, nor is he
depressed by the failure of the body to function in a particular way. In other words, Kṛṣṇa consciousness
means giving up identification with the gross and subtle material bodies. One should see them as the
external energy of the Lord, working under the direction of the Lord's empowered representative māyā.
One absorbed in fruitive activities works under the jurisdiction of mahā-māyā, or the external illusory
potency, and experiences the miseries of material existence. On the other hand, a devotee works under the
internal potency, called yoga-māyā, and remains satisfied by offering his loving service to the Lord. In either
case, the Lord Himself, by His multifarious potencies, is the ultimate performer of action.
According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, one who claims to be transcendental to the bodily
concept of life, but at the same time remains under the influence of material desire and mental
transformation, is understood to be a cheater and the lowest type of conditioned soul.

SB 11.11.10
daivādhīne śarīre 'smin guṇa-bhāvyena karmaṇā
vartamāno 'budhas tatra kartāsmīti nibadhyate

SYNONYMS
daiva — of one's previous fruitive activities; adhīne — which is under the influence; śarīre — in the material
body; asmin — in this; guṇa — by the modes of nature; bhāvyena — which are produced; karmaṇā — by
fruitive activities; vartamānaḥ — being situated; abudhaḥ — one who is foolish; tatra — within the bodily
functions; kartā — the doer; asmi — I am; iti — thus; nibadhyate — is bound up.

TRANSLATION
An unintelligent person situated within the body created by his previous fruitive activities thinks, "I am
the performer of action." Bewildered by false ego, such a foolish person is therefore bound up by fruitive
activities, which are in fact carried out by the modes of nature.

PURPORT
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (3.27):
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmaṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahańkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate
The living entity is dependent on the supreme entity, Lord Kṛṣṇa, but because of false pride he ignores the
Supreme Personality of Godhead and considers himself to be the performer of action and enjoyer of
everything. Śrīla Madhvācārya states that just as a king punishes a rebellious subject, the Supreme Lord
punishes the sinful living entity by forcing him to transmigrate from one body to another in the network of
the illusory energy.

SB 11.11.11
evaḿ viraktaḥ śayana āsanāṭana-majjane
darśana-sparśana-ghrāṇa-bhojana-śravaṇādiṣu
na tathā badhyate vidvān tatra tatrādayan guṇān

SYNONYMS
evam — thus; viraktaḥ — detached from material enjoyment; śayane — in lying or sleeping; āsana — in
sitting; aṭana — walking; majjane — or in bathing; darśana — in seeing; sparśana — touching; ghrāṇa —
smelling; bhojana — eating; śravaṇa — hearing; ādiṣu — and so on; na — not; tathā — in that way;
badhyate — is bound; vidvān — an intelligent person; tatra tatra — wherever he goes; ādayan — causing to
experience; guṇān — the senses, born of the modes of nature.

TRANSLATION
An enlightened person fixed in detachment engages his body in lying down, sitting, walking, bathing,
seeing, touching, smelling, eating, hearing and so on, but is never entangled by such activities. Indeed,
remaining as a witness to all bodily functions, he merely engages his bodily senses with their objects and
does not become entangled like an unintelligent person.

PURPORT
In the previous chapter, Uddhava asked Lord Kṛṣṇa why an enlightened person, just like a conditioned soul,
engages in external bodily functions. Here is the Lord's answer. While engaged in bodily functions, an
unintelligent person is attached to both the means and end of material life and therefore experiences
intense lamentation and jubilation on the material platform. A self-realized soul, however, studies the
inevitable defeat and suffering of ordinary persons and does not make the mistake of trying to enjoy the
bodily functions even slightly. He instead remains a detached witness, merely engaging his senses in the
normal functions of bodily maintenance. As indicated here by the word ādayan, he engages something
other than his actual self in material experience.

SB 11.11.12-13
prakṛti-stho 'py asaḿsakto yathā khaḿ savitānilaḥ
vaiśāradyekṣayāsańga-śitayā chinna-saḿśayaḥ
pratibuddha iva svapnān nānātvād vinivartate

SYNONYMS
prakṛti — in the material world; sthaḥ — situated; api — even though; asaḿsaktaḥ — completely detached
from sense gratification; yathā — just as; kham — the sky; savitā — the sun; anilaḥ — the wind; vaiśāradyā
— by most expert; īkṣayā — vision; asańga — through detachment; śitayā — sharpened; chinna — cut to
pieces; saḿśayaḥ — doubts; pratibuddhaḥ — awakened; iva — like; svapnāt — from a dream; nānātvāt —
from the duality of variety of the material world; vinivartate — one turns away or renounces.

TRANSLATION
Although the sky, or space, is the resting place of everything, the sky does not mix with anything, nor is it
entangled. Similarly, the sun is not at all attached to the water in which it is reflected within innumerable
reservoirs, and the mighty wind blowing everywhere is not affected by the innumerable aromas and
atmospheres through which it passes. In the same way, a self-realized soul is completely detached from
the material body and the material world around it. He is like a person who has awakened and arisen
from a dream. With expert vision sharpened by detachment, the self-realized soul cuts all doubts to
pieces through knowledge of the self and completely withdraws his consciousness from the expansion of
material variety.

PURPORT
According to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, a self-realized soul cuts all doubts to pieces by direct
experience of his true spiritual identity. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Lord Kṛṣṇa, and there is no
possibility of any existence separate from Lord Kṛṣṇa. Such expert knowledge cuts all doubts to pieces. As
stated here, prakṛti-stho 'py asaḿsaktaḥ: like the sky, the sun or the wind, one who is self-realized is not
entangled, though situated within the material creation of the Lord. Nānātva, or "material variety," refers
to one's material body, the bodies of others and the unlimited paraphernalia for bodily sense gratification,
both physical and mental. By awakening to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one completely retires from illusory sense
gratification and becomes absorbed in the progressive realization of the soul situated within the body. As
revealed in the example of the two birds in a tree, both the individual soul and the Personality of Godhead
are completely separate from the gross and subtle material bodies. If one turns one's face to the Lord,
recognizing one's eternal dependence on Him, there will be no further suffering or anxiety, even though
one is still situated within the material world. The unlimited experiences of material objects only increase
one's anxiety, whereas perception of the Absolute Truth, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, immediately brings one to the platform
of peace. Thus one who is intelligent retires from the world of matter and becomes a fully self-realized
Kṛṣṇa conscious person.

SB 11.11.14
yasya syur vīta-sańkalpāḥ prāṇendriya-rnano-dhiyām
vṛttayaḥ sa vinirmukto deha-stho 'pi hi tad-guṇaiḥ

SYNONYMS
yasya — of whom; syuḥ — they are; vīta — freed from; sańkalpāḥ — material desire; prāṇa — of the vital
energy; indriya — the senses; manaḥ — the mind; dhiyām — and of intelligence; vṛttayaḥ — the functions;
saḥ — such a person; vinirmuktaḥ — completely freed; deha — in the body; sthaḥ — situated; api — even
though; hi — certainly; tat — of the body; guṇaiḥ — from all of the qualities.

TRANSLATION
A person is considered to be completely liberated from the gross and subtle material bodies when all the
functions of his vital energy, senses, mind and intelligence are performed without material desire. Such a
person, although situated within the body, is not entangled.

PURPORT
The material body and mind are subject to lamentation, illusion, hunger, lust, greed, insanity, frustration,
etc., but one who remains active in this world without attachment is considered vinirmukta, or completely
liberated. The vital energy, senses, mind and intelligence are purified when engaged in the devotional
service of Lord Kṛṣṇa, as confirmed throughout Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

SB 11.11.15
yasyātmā hiḿsyate hiḿsrair yena kiñcid yadṛcchayā
arcyate vā kvacit tatra na vyatikriyate budhaḥ

SYNONYMS
 yasya — of whom; ātmā — the body; hiḿsyate — is attacked; hiḿsraiḥ — by sinful people or violent
animals; yena — by someone; kiñcit — somewhat; yadṛcchayā — somehow or other; arcyate — is
worshiped; vā — or; kvacit — somewhere; tatra — therein; na — not; vyatikriyate — is transformed or
affected; budhaḥ — one who is intelligent.

TRANSLATION
Sometimes for no apparent reason one's body is attacked by cruel people or violent animals. At other
times and in other places, one will suddenly be offered great respect or worship. One who becomes
neither angry when attacked nor satisfied when worshiped is actually intelligent.

PURPORT
If one does not become angry when attacked for no apparent reason, and if one does not become
enlivened when glorified or worshiped, then one has passed the test of self-realization and is considered
fixed in spiritual intelligence. Uddhava asked Lord Kṛṣṇa, kair vā jñāyeta lakṣaṇaiḥ: by what symptoms can a
self-realized person be recognized? Just as Lord Kṛṣṇa enlightened Arjuna, He now explains the same
subject matter to Uddhava. In this verse the Lord describes symptoms by which it is very easy to recognize a
saintly person, for a normal person becomes furious when criticized or attacked and overwhelmed with joy
when glorified by others. There is a similar statement by Yājñavalkya to the effect that one who is actually
intelligent does not become angry though pricked with thorns and does not become satisfied at heart
merely by being worshiped with auspicious paraphernalia such as sandalwood.

SB 11.11.16
na stuvīta na nindeta kurvataḥ sādhv asādhu vā
vadato guṇa-doṣābhyāḿ varjitaḥ sama-dṛń muniḥ

SYNONYMS
na stuvīta — does not praise; na nindeta — does not criticize; kurvataḥ — those who are working; sādhu —
very nicely; asādhu — very badly; vā — or; vadataḥ — those who are speaking; guṇa-doṣābhyām — from
good and bad qualities; varjitaḥ — freed; sama-dṛk — seeing things equally; muniḥ — a saintly sage.

TRANSLATION
A saintly sage sees with equal vision and therefore is not affected by that which is materially good or
bad. Indeed, although he observes others performing good and bad work and speaking properly and
improperly, the sage does not praise or criticize anyone.

SB 11.11.17
na kuryān na vadet kiñcin na dhyāyet sādhv asādhu vā
ātmārāmo 'nayā vṛttyā vicarej jaḍa-van muniḥ

SYNONYMS
na kuryāt — should not do; na vadet — should not speak; kiñcit — anything; na dhyāyet — should not
contemplate; sādhu asādhu vā — either good or bad things; ātma-ārāmaḥ — one who is taking pleasure in
self-realization; anayā — with this; vṛttyā — life-style; vicaret — he should wander; jaḍa-vat — just like a
stunted person; muniḥ — a saintly sage.

TRANSLATION
For the purpose of maintaining his body, a liberated sage should not act, speak or contemplate in terms
of material good or bad. Rather, he should be detached in all material circumstances, and taking pleasure
in self-realization, he should wander about engaged in this liberated life-style, appearing like a retarded
person to outsiders.

PURPORT
According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, this verse describes a type of discipline recommended for the jñāna-yogīs,
who by intelligence try to understand that they are not their material bodies. One who is engaged in the
devotional service of the Lord, however, accepts and rejects material things in terms of their usefulness in
the loving service of Lord Kṛṣṇa. One who is trying to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be seen as very
intelligent and not jaḍa-vat, or stunted, as described here. Although a devotee of the Lord does not act,
 speak or contemplate for his personal sense gratification, he remains very busy working, speaking and
meditating in the devotional service of the Lord. The devotee makes elaborate plans to engage all the fallen
souls in Lord Kṛṣṇa's service so they can be purified and go back home, back to Godhead. Merely rejecting
material things is not perfect consciousness. One must see everything as the property of the Lord and
meant for the Lord's pleasure. One busily engaged in spreading the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has no
time to make material distinctions and thus automatically comes to the liberated platform.

SB 11.11.18
śabda-brahmaṇi niṣṇāto na niṣṇāyāt pare yadi
śramas tasya śrama-phalo hy adhenum iva rakṣataḥ

SYNONYMS
śabda-brahmaṇi — in the Vedic literature; niṣṇātaḥ — expert through complete study; na niṣṇāyāt — does
not absorb the mind; pare — in the Supreme; yadi — if; śramaḥ — labor; tasya — his; śrama — of great
endeavor; phalaḥ — the fruit; hi — certainly; adhenum — a cow that gives no milk; iva — like; rakṣataḥ —
of one who is taking care of.

TRANSLATION
If through meticulous study one becomes expert in reading Vedic literature but makes no endeavor to fix
one's mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then one's endeavor is certainly like that of a man
who works very hard to take care of a cow that gives no milk. In other words, the fruit of one's laborious
study of Vedic knowledge will simply be the labor itself. There will be no other tangible result.

PURPORT
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains that the word pare ("the Supreme") in this verse indicates the
Supreme Personality of Godhead rather than the impersonal Brahman, because Lord Kṛṣṇa, the speaker of
these instructions, makes references in later verses to His personality as the Supreme. An impersonal
interpretation in this case would be eka-deśānvaya uttara-ślokārtha-tātparya-virodhaḥ, or a contradictory
interpretation that creates illogical conflict with other ślokas (verses) spoken in the same context.
It requires great endeavor to take care of a cow. One must either grow food grains to feed the cow or
maintain suitable pastures. If the pasture is not properly maintained, poisonous weeds will grow, or snakes
will multiply, and there will be danger. Cows are infected by many types of diseases and bugs and must be
regularly cleaned and disinfected. Similarly, fences must be maintained around the cow pasture, and there
is even more work to be done. If the cow gives no milk, however, then one certainly performs hard labor
with no tangible result. Laborious effort is also required to learn the Sanskrit language well enough to
discern the subtle and esoteric meaning of the Vedic mantras. If after such great labor one does not
understand the spiritual body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which is the source of all happiness
in life, and if one does not surrender to the Lord as the supreme shelter of all things, then one has certainly
labored hard with no tangible result other than his own labor. Even a liberated soul who has given up the
bodily concept of life will fall down if he does not take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The
word niṣṇāta, or "expert," indicates that one must ultimately achieve the goal of life; otherwise one is not
expert. As stated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, premā pum-artho mahān: the actual goal of human life is love
of Godhead, and no one can be considered expert without achieving this goal.

SB 11.11.19
gāḿ dugdha-dohām asatīḿ ca bhāryāḿ
dehaḿ parādhīnam asat-prajāḿ ca
vittaḿ tv atīrthī-kṛtam ańga vācaḿ
hīnāḿ mayā rakṣati duḥkha-duḥkhī

SYNONYMS
gām — a cow; dugdha — whose milk; dohām — already taken; asatīm — unchaste; ca — also; bhāryām — a
wife; deham — a body; para — upon others; adhīnam — always dependent; asat — useless; prajām —
children; ca — also; vittam — wealth; tu — but; atīrthī-kṛtam — not given to the proper recipient; ańga — O
Uddhava; vācam — Vedic knowledge; hīnām — devoid; mayā — of knowledge of Me; rakṣati — he takes
care of; duḥkha-duḥkhī — he who suffers one misery after another.
 TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, that man is certainly most miserable who takes care of a cow that gives no milk, an
unchaste wife, a body totally dependent on others, useless children or wealth not utilized for the right
purpose. Similarly, one who studies Vedic knowledge devoid of My glories is also most miserable.

PURPORT
A human being is actually learned or expert when he understands that all material objects perceived
through the various senses are expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that nothing exists
without the support of the Supreme Lord. In this verse, through various examples, it is concluded that the
power of speech is useless if not engaged in the support of the Supreme Lord. According to Śrīla Viśvanātha
Cakravartī Ṭhākura, this verse implies that all of the functions of the various senses are useless if they are
not engaged in the glorification of God. Indeed, the avadhūta brāhmaṇa previously stated to King Yadu that
if the tongue is not controlled, one's entire program of sense control is a failure. One cannot control the
tongue unless he vibrates the glories of the Lord.
The example of the milkless cow is significant. A gentleman never kills a cow, and therefore when a cow
becomes sterile and no longer gives milk, one must engage in the laborious task of protecting her, since no
one will purchase a useless cow. For some time, the greedy owner of a sterile cow may continue thinking, "I
have already invested so much money in taking care of this cow, and certainly in the near future she will
again become pregnant and give milk." But when this hope is proven futile, he becomes neglectful and
indifferent to the health and safety of the animal. Because of such sinful neglect, he must suffer in the next
life, after having already suffered because of the sterile cow in the present life.
Similarly, although a man may discover that his wife is neither chaste nor affectionate, he may be so eager
to get children that he goes on taking care of such a useless wife, thinking, "I will teach my wife the
religious duties of a chaste woman. By hearing historical examples of great women surely her heart will
change, and she will become a wonderful wife to me." Unfortunately, the unchaste wife in many cases does
not change and also gives a man many useless children who are just as foolish and irreligious as she. Such
children never give any happiness to the father, yet the father tediously labors to take care of them.
Also, one who has accumulated wealth by the mercy of God must be vigilant to give in charity to the right
person and for the right cause. If such a right person or cause appears and one hesitates and selfishly does
not give in charity, one loses his reputation, and in the next life he will be poverty-stricken. One who fails to
give properly in charity spends his life anxiously protecting his wealth, which ultimately brings him no fame
or happiness.
The previous examples are given to illustrate the uselessness of laboriously studying Vedic knowledge that
does not glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī comments that the spiritual
vibration of the Vedas is meant to bring one to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Many processes
for achieving the Supreme Truth are recommended in the Upaniṣads and other Vedic literatures, but
because of their innumerable and seemingly contradictory explanations, commentaries and injunctions,
one cannot achieve the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, merely by reading such literature. If,
however, one understands Śrī Kṛṣṇa to be the ultimate cause of all causes and reads the Upaniṣads and
other Vedic literature as glorification of the Supreme Lord, then one can actually become fixed at the Lord's
lotus feet. For example, His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda translated and commented upon Śrī Īśopaniṣad
in such a way that it brings the reader closer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Undoubtedly, the
lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa are the only reliable boat by which to cross the turbulent ocean of material
existence. Even Lord Brahmā has stated in the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that if one gives up the
auspicious path of bhakti and takes to the fruitless labor of Vedic speculation, one is just like a fool who
beats empty husks in hopes of getting rice. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī recommends that one completely ignore dry
Vedic speculation because it does not bring one to the point of devotional service to the Absolute Truth,
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

SB 11.11.20
yasyāḿ na me pāvanam ańga karma
sthity-udbhava-prāṇa-nirodham asya
līlāvatārepsita-janma vā syād
vandhyāḿ giraḿ tāḿ bibhṛyān na dhīraḥ

SYNONYMS
yasyām — in which (literature); na — not; me — My; pāvanam — purifying; ańga — O Uddhava; karma —
activities; sthiti — maintenance; udbhava — creation; prāṇa-nirodham — and annihilation; asya — of the
material world; līlā-avatāra — among the pastime incarnations; īpsita — desired; janma — appearance; vā
— or; syāt — is; vandhyām — barren; giram — vibration; tām — this; bibhṛyāt — should support; na — not;
dhīraḥ — an intelligent person.

TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, an intelligent person should never take to literatures that do not contain descriptions
of My activities, which purify the whole universe. Indeed, I create, maintain and annihilate the entire
material manifestation. Among all My pastime incarnations, the most beloved are Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma.
Any so-called knowledge that does not recognize these activities of Mine is simply barren and is not
acceptable to those who are actually intelligent.

PURPORT
The words līlāvatārepsita-janma are very significant here. The Lord's incarnation for executing wonderful
pastimes is called līlāvatāra, and such wonderful forms of Viṣṇu are glorified by the names Rāmacandra,
Nṛsiḿhadeva, Kūrma, Varāha, and so on. Among all such līlāvatāras, however, the most beloved, even to
this day, is Lord Kṛṣṇa, the original source of the viṣṇu-tattva. The Lord appears in the prison house of
Kaḿsa and is immediately transferred to the rural setting of Vṛndāvana, where He exhibits unique
childhood pastimes with His cowherd boyfriends, girl friends, parents and well-wishers. After some time,
the Lord's pastimes are transferred to Mathurā and Dvārakā, and the extraordinary love of the inhabitants
of Vṛndāvana is exhibited in their anguished separation from Lord Kṛṣṇa. Such pastimes of the Lord are
īpsita, or the reservoir of all loving exchanges with the Absolute Truth. The pure devotees of the Lord are
most intelligent and expert and do not pay any attention to useless, fruitless literatures that neglect the
highest truth, Lord Kṛṣṇa. Although such literatures are very popular among materialistic persons all over
the world, they are completely neglected by the community of pure Vaiṣṇavas. In this verse the Lord
explains that the literatures approved for the devotees are those that glorify the Lord's pastimes as the
puruṣa-avatāra and the līlāvatāras, culminating in the personal appearance of Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, as
confirmed in Brahma-saḿhitā (5.39):
rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan
nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu
kṛṣṇaḥ svayaḿ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo
govindam ādi-puruṣaḿ tam ahaḿ bhajāmi
"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself personally as Kṛṣṇa and the different
avatāras in the world in the forms of Rāma, Nṛsiḿha, Vāmana, etc., as His subjective portions."
Even Vedic literatures that neglect the Supreme Personality of Godhead should be ignored. This fact was
also explained by Nārada Muni to Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the author of the Vedas, when the great Vedavyāsa felt
dissatisfied with his work.

SB 11.11.21
evaḿ jijñāsayāpohya nānātva-bhramam ātmani
upārameta virajaḿ mano mayy arpya sarva-ge

SYNONYMS
evam — thus (as I have now concluded); jijñāsayā — by analytic study; apohya — giving up; nānātva — of
material variety; bhramam — the mistake of rotating; ātmani — in the self; upārameta — one should cease
from material life; virajam — pure; manaḥ — the mind; mayi — in Me; arpya — fixing; sarva-ge — who am
all-pervading.

TRANSLATION
Coming to this conclusion of all knowledge, one should give up the false conception of material variety
that one imposes upon the soul and thus cease one's material existence. The mind should be fixed on
Me, since I am all-pervading.

PURPORT
Although in previous verses Lord Kṛṣṇa has described the life-style and approach of the impersonal
philosophers who meditate on the distinction between matter and spirit, the Lord here rejects the path of
 jñāna, or speculation, and comes to the final conclusion, bhakti-yoga. The path of jñāna is interesting only
to one who does not know that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as stated in Bhagavad-
gītā (7.19):
bahūnāḿ janmanām ante jñānavān mām prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ
The words vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti, or "Vāsudeva is everything," are similar to the words sarva-ge found in
this verse. One should know why the Personality of Godhead is all-pervading. The first verse of Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam states, janmādy asya yataḥ: [SB 1.1.1] the Supreme Lord is the source of everything. And as
stated in the previous verse of this chapter, He creates, maintains and annihilates everything. Thus the Lord
is not all-pervading in the manner of air or sunlight; rather, the Lord is all-pervading as the absolute
controller who holds in His hands the destiny of every living entity.
Everything is ultimately an expansion of Kṛṣṇa, and therefore there is really no other object of meditation
besides Kṛṣṇa. Meditation upon any other object is also meditation on Kṛṣṇa but is imperfectly performed,
as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā by the word avidhi-pūrvakam. The Lord also states in the Gītā that all living
entities are on the path back home, back to Godhead. Because of ignorance, however, some of them go
backward or stop along the way, foolishly thinking that their journey is finished, when in fact they are
suspended in one of the minor potencies of the Supreme Lord. If one wants to intimately understand the
nature of the Absolute Truth, one must take to the path of love of Godhead. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā
(18.55):
bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ
tato māḿ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram
"One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full
consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God."
The words nānātva-bhramam in this verse indicate false identification with the gross and subtle material
bodies. The word bhramam indicates a mistake; it can also mean "wandering" or "rotating." The
conditioned living entity, because of his mistake of falling into illusion, is wandering through a succession of
material bodies, sometimes appearing as a demigod and sometimes as a worm in stool. The word
upārameta means that one should stop such fruitless wandering and fix one's mind on the Absolute Truth,
the Supreme Lord, who is the true object of everyone's love. Such a conclusion is not sentimental but is the
result of keen analytic intelligence (jijñāsayā). Thus after elaborately explaining to Uddhava many aspects of
analytic knowledge, the Lord now comes to the ultimate conclusion, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, pure love of
Godhead. Without such love there is no question of eternally fixing one's mind on the Lord.
Quoting from the Viveka, Śrīla Madhvācārya states that nānātva-bhramam indicates the following illusions:
considering the living entity to be the Supreme; considering all living entities to be ultimately one entity
without separate individuality; considering that there are many Gods; thinking that Kṛṣṇa is not God; and
considering that the material universe is the ultimate reality. All of these illusions are called bhrama, or
mistakes, but such ignorance can be eliminated at once by the chanting of the holy names of Kṛṣṇa: Hare
Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

SB 11.11.22
yady anīśo dhārayituḿ mano brahmaṇi niścalam
mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi nirapekṣaḥ samācara

SYNONYMS
yadi — if; anīśaḥ — incapable; dhārayitum — to fix; manaḥ — the mind; brahmaṇi — on the spiritual
platform; niścalam — free from sense gratification; mayi — in Me; sarvāṇi — all; karmāṇi — activities;
nirapekṣaḥ — without trying to enjoy the fruits; samācara — execute.

TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, if you are not able to free your mind from all material disturbance and thus absorb it
completely on the spiritual platform, then perform all your activities as an offering to Me, without trying
to enjoy the fruits.

PURPORT
If one offers one's activities to Lord Kṛṣṇa without trying to enjoy the results, one's mind becomes purified.
When the mind is purified, transcendental knowledge automatically manifests, since such knowledge is a
by-product of pure consciousness. When the mind is absorbed in perfect knowledge, it can be raised to the
spiritual platform, as described in Bhagavad-gītā (18.54):
brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kānkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiḿ labhate parām

"One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor
desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure
devotional service unto Me." By absorbing the mind in the transcendental form of Lord Kṛṣṇa, one can
surpass the stage of ordinary transcendental knowledge, by which one simply distinguishes oneself from
the gross and subtle material bodies. Spiritually enriched by loving devotional service to the Lord, the mind
is completely purified of all tinges of illusion. Through intense concentration on one's relationship with the
Personality of Godhead one comes to the highest standard of knowledge and becomes an intimate
associate of the Personality of Godhead.
By offering one's activities to the Personality of Godhead, one purifies one's mind to some extent and thus
comes to the preliminary stage of spiritual awareness. Yet even then one may not be able to fix one's mind
completely on the spiritual platform. At that point one should realistically assess one's position, noting the
lingering material contamination within the mind. Then, as stated in this verse, one should intensify one's
practical devotional work in the service of the Lord. If one artificially considers oneself to be supremely
liberated or if one becomes casual on the path of spiritual advancement, there is serious danger of a
falldown.
According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the Lord previously explained to Uddhava jñāna-miśrā bhakti, or devotional
service mixed with the impure desire to enjoy transcendental knowledge. In this verse the Lord clearly
reveals that transcendental knowledge is an automatic by-product of loving service to the Lord, and in the
next verse the Lord begins His explanation of pure devotional service, which is completely sufficient for self-
realization. The desire to enjoy spiritual knowledge is certainly a material desire, since the goal is one's
personal satisfaction and not the pleasure of the Supreme Lord. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa here warns Uddhava
that if one is not able to fix one's mind in trance on the spiritual platform, then one should not go on simply
theoretically discussing what is Brahman and what is not Brahman. Rather, one should engage in practical
devotional service to the Supreme Lord, and then spiritual knowledge will automatically awaken in one's
heart. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (10.10):
teṣāḿ satata-yuktānāḿ bhajatāḿ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaḿ taḿ yena mām upayānti te
"To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they
can come to Me."
Similarly, in the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Lord Brahmā warns that one should not neglect the
auspicious path of bhakti and instead take up the useless labor of mental speculation. By mere
philosophical speculation one cannot fix one's mind on the spiritual platform. Many great philosophers
throughout history had abominable personal habits, which proves that they could not fix themselves on the
spiritual platform by mere speculation on philosophical categories. If one is not fortunate enough to have
executed devotional service to the Lord in one's past life, and if one is therefore addicted to mere
speculation on the differences between matter and spirit, one will not be able to fix one's mind on the
spiritual platform. Such a person should give up useless speculation and engage in the practical work of
Kṛṣṇa consciousness, absorbing himself twenty-four hours a day in the mission of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. In such missionary work for the Lord's sake, one should never try to enjoy the fruits of one's
work. Even though the mind is not completely pure, if one offers the fruits of one's work to the Lord, the
mind will quickly come to the standard of pure desirelessness, in which one's only desire is the Lord's
satisfaction.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī states that if one does not have faith in the personal form and activities of the
Personality of Godhead, one will not have the spiritual strength to remain perpetually on the
transcendental platform. In this verse the Lord is definitely bringing Uddhava, and all living entities, to the
conclusion of all philosophy — pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa.
In this regard, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura points out that one who is bewildered by false ego
may not want to offer his activities to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even though this is the actual
way of rising above the influence of the modes of material nature. Because of ignorance one does not know
that he is the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa and instead is attracted by the duality of material illusion. One
cannot become free from such illusion by theoretical speculation, but if one offers one's work to the
Personality of Godhead, one will clearly understand his eternal, transcendental position as a servant of the
Lord.

SB 11.11.23-24
śraddhālur mat-kathāḥ śṛṇvan su-bhadrā loka-pāvanīḥ
gāyann anusmaran karma janma cābhinayan muhuḥ
mad-arthe dharma-kāmārthān ācaran mad-apāśrayaḥ
labhate niścalāḿ bhaktiḿ mayy uddhava sanātane

SYNONYMS
śraddhāluḥ — a faithful person; mat-kathāḥ — narrations about Me; śṛṇvan — hearing; su-bhadrāḥ —
which are all-auspicious; loka — the entire world; pāvanīḥ — purifying; gāyan — singing; anusmaran —
remembering constantly; karma — My activities; janma — My birth; ca — also; abhinayan — reliving
through dramatical performances, etc.; muhuḥ — again and again; mat-arthe — for My pleasure; dharma
— religious activities; kāma — sense activities; arthān — and commercial activities; ācaran — performing;
mat — in Me; apāśrayaḥ — having one's shelter; labhate — one obtains; niścalām — without deviation;
bhaktim — devotional service; mayi — to Me; uddhava — O Uddhava; sanātane — dedicated to My eternal
form.

TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, narrations of My pastimes and qualities are all-auspicious and purify the entire
universe. A faithful person who constantly hears, glorifies and remembers such transcendental activities,
who through dramatic performances relives My pastimes, beginning with My appearance, and who takes
full shelter of Me, dedicating his religious, sensual and occupational activities for My satisfaction,
certainly obtains unflinching devotional service to Me, the eternal Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT
Those who have faith only in the impersonal effulgent aspect of the Supreme Lord and those who have
faith only in the localized Supersoul, the perfect object of mystic meditation located in the heart of every
living entity, are considered to be limited and imperfect in their transcendental realization. The process of
mystic meditation and impersonal philosophical speculation are both devoid of actual love of God and
therefore cannot be considered to be the perfection of human life. Only one who places full faith in the
Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes qualified to go back home, back to Godhead.
Lord Kṛṣṇa's pastimes of stealing butter from the elderly gopīs, enjoying life with His cowherd boyfriends
and the young gopīs, playing His flute and engaging in the rāsa dance, etc., are all-auspicious spiritual
activities, and they are fully described in the Tenth Canto of this work. There are many authorized songs
and prayers glorifying these pastimes of the Lord, and by constantly chanting them one will automatically
be fixed in smaraṇam, or remembrance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord exhibited His
opulences upon His birth in Kaḿsa's prison and at the birth ceremony subsequently performed by Nanda
Mahārāja in Gokula. The Lord further performed many adventurous activities, such as chastising the
serpent Kāliya and many other irresponsible demons. One should regularly take part in the ceremonies
commemorating Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, such as the Janmāṣṭamī celebration glorifying the Lord's birth. On such
days one should worship the Deity of Lord Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master and thus remember the Lord's
pastimes.
The word dharma in this verse indicates that one's religious activities should always be in connection with
Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, one should give charity in the form of food grains, clothing, etc., to the Vaiṣṇavas and
brāhmaṇas, and whenever possible one should arrange for the protection of cows, who are very dear to
the Lord. The word kāma indicates that one should satisfy one's desires with the transcendental
paraphernalia of the Lord. One should eat mahā-prasādam, food offered to the Deity of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and
one should also decorate oneself with the Lord's flower garlands and sandalwood pulp and should place the
remnants of the Deity's clothing on one's body. One who lives in a luxurious mansion or apartment should
convert his residence into a temple of Lord Kṛṣṇa and invite others to come, chant before the Deity, hear
Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and taste the remnants of the Lord's food, or one may live in a
beautiful temple building in the community of Vaiṣṇavas and engage in the same activities. The word artha
in this verse indicates that one who is inclined toward business should accumulate money to promote the
missionary work of the Lord's devotees and not for one's personal sense gratification. Thus one's business
activities are also considered to be devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. The word niścalām indicates that since
 Lord Kṛṣṇa is eternally fixed in perfect knowledge and bliss, there is no possibility of disturbance for one
who worships the Lord. If we worship anything except the Lord, our worship may be disturbed when our
worshipable deity is placed in an awkward position. But because the Lord is supreme, our worship of Him is
eternally free of disturbance.
One who engages in hearing, glorifying, remembering and dramatically recreating the pastimes of the Lord
will soon be freed from all material desire. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī mentions in this connection that one who is
advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness may specifically be attracted to the pastimes of a devotee in the spiritual
world who serves the Lord in a particular way. An advanced devotee in this world may desire to serve the
Lord in the same way and thus may take pleasure in dramatically reliving the service of his worshipable
devotee-master in the spiritual world. Also, one may take pleasure in spiritual festivals, performances of
particular pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, or activities of other devotees of the Lord. In this way, one can
continually increase one's faith in the Personality of Godhead. Those who have no desire to hear, glorify or
remember the transcendental activities of the Lord are certainly materially polluted and never achieve the
highest perfection. Such persons spoil the opportunity of human life by devoting themselves to fleeting
mundane topics that produce no eternal benefit. The real meaning of religion is to constantly serve the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose form is eternal, full of bliss and knowledge. One who has taken full
shelter of the Lord is completely uninterested in impersonal speculations about the nature of God and uses
his time to advance more and more in the unlimited bliss of pure devotional service.

SB 11.11.25
sat-sańga-labdhayā bhaktyā mayi māḿ sa upāsitā
sa vai me darśitaḿ sadbhir añjasā vindate padam

SYNONYMS
sat — of the devotees of the Lord; sańga — by the association; labdhayā — obtained; bhaktyā — by
devotion; mayi — to Me; mām — of Me; saḥ — he; upāsitā — worshiper; saḥ — that very person; vai —
undoubtedly; me — My; darśitam — revealed; sadbhiḥ — by My pure devotees; añjasā — very easily;
vindate — achieves; padam — My lotus feet or My eternal abode.

TRANSLATION
One who has obtained pure devotional service by association with My devotees always engages in
worshiping Me. Thus he very easily goes to My abode, which is revealed by My pure devotees.

PURPORT
In the previous verses Lord Kṛṣṇa has emphasized the value of surrendering to Him in loving service. One
may ask how such surrender or devotion is actually achieved. The Lord gives the answer in this verse. One
must live in a society of devotees, and thus automatically one will be engaged twenty-four hours a day in
the various processes of devotional service, beginning with śravaṇam, kīrtanam and smaraṇam (hearing,
glorifying and remembering the Lord). The pure devotees of the Lord can reveal the spiritual world by their
transcendental sound vibration, making it possible for even a neophyte devotee to experience the Lord's
abode. Being thus enlivened, the neophyte makes further progress and gradually becomes qualified to
personally serve the Personality of Godhead in the spiritual world. By constantly associating with devotees
and learning from them about devotional science, one quickly achieves a deep attachment for the Lord and
the Lord's service, and such attachment gradually matures into pure love of Godhead.
Foolish persons say that the various mantras composed of names of God, as well as all other mantras, are
merely material creations with no special value, and therefore any so-called mantra or mystical process will
ultimately produce the same result. To refute such superficial thinking, the Lord here describes the science
of going back home, back to Godhead. One should not accept the bad association of impersonalists, who
state that the holy name, form, qualities and pastimes of the Lord are māyā, or illusion. Māyā is actually an
insignificant potency of the almighty Personality of Godhead, and if one ignorantly tries to elevate illusion
above the Absolute Truth, one will never experience love of Godhead and will be cast into deep
forgetfulness of the Lord. One should not associate with those who are envious of the fortunate devotees
who are going back to Godhead. Such envious persons deride the abode of the Lord, which is revealed by
the pure devotees to those who have faith in the Lord's message. Envious persons create disturbances
among the people in general, who should take shelter of the faithful devotees of the Lord. Unless people
hear from pure devotees, it is impossible for them to understand that there is a Supreme Personality of
 Godhead eternally existing in His own abode, which is self-luminous, full of bliss and knowledge. In this
verse, the importance of sańga, association, is clearly explained.

SB 11.11.26-27
śrī-uddhava uvāca
sādhus tavottama-śloka mataḥ kīdṛg-vidhaḥ prabho
bhaktis tvayy upayujyeta kīdṛśī sadbhir ādṛtā
etan me puruṣādhyakṣa lokādhyakṣa jagat-prabho
praṇatāyānuraktāya prapannāya ca kathyatām

SYNONYMS
śrī-uddhavaḥ uvāca — Śrī Uddhava said; sādhuḥ — a saintly person; tava — in Your; uttama-śloka — my
dear Lord; mataḥ — opinion; kīdṛk-vidhaḥ — what kind would he be; prabho — my dear Personality of
Godhead; bhaktiḥ — devotional service; tvayi — unto Your Lordship; upayujyeta — deserves to be
executed; kīdṛśī — what type is it; sadbhiḥ — by Your pure devotees such as Nārada; ādṛtā — honored; etat
— this; me — to me; puruṣa-adhyakṣa — O ruler of the universal controllers; loka-adhyakṣa — O Supreme
Lord of Vaikuṇṭha; jagat-prabho — O God of the universe; praṇatāya — unto Your surrendered devotee;
anuraktāya — who loves You; prapannāya — who has no other shelter than You; ca — also; kathyatām —
let this be spoken.

TRANSLATION
Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, what type of person do You consider
to be a true devotee, and what type of devotional service is approved by great devotees as worthy of
being offered to Your Lordship? My dear ruler of the universal controllers, O Lord of Vaikuṇṭha and
almighty God of the universe, I am Your devotee, and because I love You I have no other shelter than
You. Therefore please explain this to me.

PURPORT
In the previous verse it was stated that one can achieve the Lord's supreme abode by associating with
devotees. Therefore, Uddhava naturally inquires about the symptoms of a distinguished devotee whose
association can promote one to the kingdom of God. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī notes that the Personality of
Godhead knows who is actually a sincere devotee because the Lord is always attached to His loving
servitors. Similarly, pure devotees can expertly explain the proper methods of devotional service to Lord
Kṛṣṇa because they are already absorbed in love of Kṛṣṇa. Uddhava herein requests Lord Kṛṣṇa to describe
the qualities of a devotee and asks the Lord to explain the devotional service that the devotees themselves
approve as worthy to be offered to the Lord.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks that the word puruṣādhyakṣa indicates that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the
supreme ruler of the universal controllers headed by Mahā-Viṣṇu, and thus the Lord possesses infinite
sovereignty. The term lokādhyakṣa indicates that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate supervising authority of all of
the Vaikuṇṭha planets, and therefore the Lord is unlimitedly glorious and perfect. Uddhava further
addresses Lord Kṛṣṇa as jagat-prabhu, because even in the illusory material world the Lord exhibits His
unlimited mercy by personally incarnating to uplift the conditioned souls. The word praṇatāya ("Your
surrendered devotee") indicates that Uddhava is not proud like ordinary fools who do not enjoy bowing
down to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Uddhava
mentions that he is anuraktāya, or completely bound in love to Lord Kṛṣṇa, because unlike other great
devotees such as Arjuna, who sometimes worshiped demigods in order to comply with social customs or to
show respect for their positions in the scheme of planetary management, Uddhava never worshiped any
demigods. Therefore, Uddhava is prapannāya, or completely surrendered to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having no other
shelter.

SB 11.11.28
tvaḿ brahma paramaḿ vyoma puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ
avatīrno 'si bhagavan svecchopātta-pṛthag-vapuḥ

SYNONYMS
tvam — You; brahma paramam — the Absolute Truth; vyoma — like the sky (You are detached from
everything); puruṣaḥ — the Personality of Godhead; prakṛteḥ — to material nature; paraḥ —
 transcendental; avatīrṇaḥ — incarnated; asi — You are; bhagavan — the Lord; sva — of Your own
(devotees); icchā — according to the desire; upātta — accepted; pṛthak — different; vapuḥ — bodies.

TRANSLATION
My dear Lord, as the Absolute Truth You are transcendental to material nature, and like the sky You are
never entangled in any way. Still, being controlled by Your devotees' love, You accept many different
forms, incarnating according to Your devotees' desires.

PURPORT
The pure devotees of the Lord propagate devotional service all over the world, and therefore, although
separate from the personal form of the Lord, they are considered to be manifestations of God's mercy and
potency. As stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya 7.11): kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana.
The Lord is like the sky (vyoma) because although expanded everywhere, He is not entangled in anything.
He is prakṛteḥ paraḥ, or completely transcendental to material nature. The Lord is fully self-satisfied and is
therefore indifferent to the affairs of the material world. Still, because of His causeless mercy, the Lord
desires to expand pure devotional service, and for this reason He incarnates within the material world to
uplift the fallen conditioned souls.
The Lord descends in selected spiritual bodies to please His loving devotees. Sometimes He appears in His
original form as Kṛṣṇa. And even Kṛṣṇa Himself appears in different forms to special devotees so that they
may fully develop their loving sentiments for Him. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī gives several examples of the Lord's
special mercy upon His devotees. Lord Kṛṣṇa personally went to the home of Jāmbavān and there displayed
a form with slightly angry glances. In that form, the Lord enjoyed a fight with His devotee. The Lord
displayed His form as Dattātreya to Atri Muni and similarly bestowed special mercy upon Lord Brahmā, the
demigods, Akrūra and innumerable other devotees. And in Vṛndāvana the Lord displayed His most beautiful
form as Govinda to the fortunate inhabitants.
Śrīla Madhvācārya has quoted from the Prakāśa-saḿhitā as follows. "The Lord accepts different spiritual
bodies according to the desire of His devotees. For example, the Lord agreed to become the son of
Vasudeva and Devakī. Thus, although Lord Kṛṣṇa has an eternal, blissful spiritual form, He appears to enter
within the body of His devotee who becomes His mother. Although we speak of the Lord's 'taking on a
body,' the Lord does not change His form, as do the conditioned souls, who must change their material
bodies. The Lord appears in His own eternally unchangeable forms. Lord Hari always appears in the forms
that are especially desired by His loving devotees, and never in other forms. However, if one thinks that the
Lord, in the manner of an ordinary person taking birth, becomes the physical son of Vasudeva or other
devotees, then one is victimized by illusion. The Lord merely expands His spiritual potency, causing His pure
devotees to think, 'Kṛṣṇa is now my son.' One should understand that the Supreme Personality of Godhead
never accepts or rejects a material body, nor does He ever give up His eternal spiritual forms; rather, the
Lord eternally manifests His blissful bodies according to the loving sentiments of His eternal pure
devotees."
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī mentions that the word vyoma also indicates the Lord's name of Paravyoma, or the Lord
of the spiritual sky. One should not misinterpret this verse to mean that Lord Kṛṣṇa is impersonal, like the
material sky, or that the form of Kṛṣṇa is merely another selected incarnation equal to any other. Such
casual and whimsical speculations cannot be accepted as actual spiritual knowledge. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original
Personality of Godhead (kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam), and the Lord has explained elaborately in Bhagavad-
gītā that He is the original source of everything. Therefore, the pure devotees of the Lord are eternally
engaged, in full knowledge and bliss, in loving service to the Lord's original form as Kṛṣṇa. The whole
purpose of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is to arouse our love for Lord Kṛṣṇa, and one should not foolishly
misunderstand this great purpose.

SB 11.11.29-32
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
kṛpālur akṛta-drohas titikṣuḥ sarva-dehinām
satya-sāro 'navadyātmā samaḥ sarvopakārakaḥ
kāmair ahata-dhīr dānto mṛduḥ śucir akiñcanaḥ
anīho mita-bhuk śāntaḥ sthiro mac-charaṇo muniḥ
apramatto gabhīrātmā dhṛtimāñ jita-ṣaḍ-guṇaḥ
amānī māna-daḥ kalyo maitraḥ kāruṇikaḥ kaviḥ
ājñāyaivaḿ guṇān doṣān mayādiṣṭān api svakān
 dharmān santyajya yaḥ sarvān māḿ bhajeta sa tu sattamaḥ

SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; kṛpāluḥ — unable to tolerate the
suffering of others; akṛta-drohaḥ — never injuring others; titikṣuḥ — forgiving; sarva-dehinām — toward all
living entities; satya-sāraḥ — one who lives by truth and whose strength and firmness come from
truthfulness; anavadya-ātmā — a soul free from envy, jealousy, etc.; samaḥ — whose consciousness is
equal both in happiness and in distress; sarva-upakārakaḥ — always endeavoring as far as possible for the
welfare of all others; kāmaiḥ — by material desires; ahata — undisturbed; dhīḥ — whose intelligence;
dāntaḥ — controlling the external senses; mṛduḥ — without a harsh mentality; śuciḥ — always well-
behaved; akiñcanaḥ — without possessiveness; anīhaḥ — free from worldly activities; mita-bhuk — eating
austerely; śāntaḥ — controlling the mind; sthiraḥ — remaining steady in one's prescribed duty; mat-
śaraṇaḥ — accepting Me as the only shelter; muniḥ — thoughtful; apramattaḥ — cautious and sober;
gabhīra-ātmā — not superficial, and thus unchanging; dhṛti-mān — not weak or miserable even in
distressing circumstances; jita — having conquered; ṣaṭ-guṇaḥ — the six material qualities, namely hunger,
thirst, lamentation, illusion, old age and death; amānī — without desire for prestige; māna-daḥ — offering
all respects to others; kalyaḥ — expert in reviving the Kṛṣṇa consciousness of others; maitraḥ — never
cheating anyone, and thus a true friend; kāruṇikaḥ — acting always due to compassion, not personal
ambition; kaviḥ — completely learned; ājñāya — knowing; evam — thus; guṇān — good qualities; doṣān —
bad qualities; mayā — by Me; ādiṣṭān — taught; api — even; svakān — one's own; dharmān — religious
principles; santyajya — giving up; yaḥ — one who; sarvān — all; mām — Me; bhajeta — worships; saḥ —
he; tu — indeed; sat-tamaḥ — the best among saintly persons.

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O Uddhava, a saintly person is merciful and never injures
others. Even if others are aggressive he is tolerant and forgiving toward all living entities. His strength
and meaning in life come from the truth itself, he is free from all envy and jealousy, and his mind is equal
in material happiness and distress. Thus, he dedicates his time to work for the welfare of all others. His
intelligence is never bewildered by material desires, and he has controlled his senses. His behavior is
always pleasing, never harsh and always exemplary, and he is free from possessiveness. He never
endeavors in ordinary, worldly activities, and he strictly controls his eating. He therefore always remains
peaceful and steady. A saintly person is thoughtful and accepts Me as his only shelter. Such a person is
very cautious in the execution of his duties and is never subject to superficial transformations, because
he is steady and noble, even in a distressing situation. He has conquered over the six material qualities —
namely hunger, thirst, lamentation, illusion, old age and death. He is free from all desire for prestige and
offers honor to others. He is expert in reviving the Kṛṣṇa consciousness of others and therefore never
cheats anyone. Rather, he is a well-wishing friend to all, being most merciful. Such a saintly person must
be considered the most learned of men. He perfectly understands that the ordinary religious duties
prescribed by Me in various Vedic scriptures possess favorable qualities that purify the performer, and he
knows that neglect of such duties constitutes a discrepancy in one's life. Having taken complete shelter at
My lotus feet, however, a saintly person ultimately renounces such ordinary religious duties and
worships Me alone. He is thus considered to be the best among all living entities.

PURPORT
Verses 29-31 describe twenty-eight qualities of a saintly person, and verse 32 explains the highest
perfection of life. According to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, the seventeenth quality (mat-
śaraṇa, or taking complete shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa) is the most important, and the other twenty-seven
qualities automatically appear in one who has become a pure devotee of the Lord. As stated in Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam (5.18.12), yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ. The
twenty-eight saintly qualities may be described as follows.
(1) Kṛpālu. A devotee cannot tolerate seeing the world merged in ignorance and suffering the whiplashes of
māyā. Therefore he busily engages in distributing Kṛṣṇa consciousness and is called kṛpālu, or merciful.
(2) Akṛta-droha. Even if someone is offensive toward a devotee, a devotee does not become offensive in
return. Indeed, he never acts against the interest of any living entity. One may argue that great Vaiṣṇava
kings, such as Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and Parīkṣit Mahārāja, executed many criminals. However, when
justice is properly administered by the state, sinful, destructive persons actually benefit from their
punishment because they become freed from the severe karmic reactions to their illicit activities. A
Vaiṣṇava ruler gives punishment not out of envy or malice, but in faithful obedience to the laws of God. The
Māyāvādī philosophers who want to kill God by imagining that He does not exist are certainly kṛta-droha, or
most injurious to themselves and others. The impersonalist imagines that he himself is supreme and thus
creates a most dangerous situation for himself and his followers. Similarly, the karmīs, who are dedicated
to material sense gratification, are also killers of the self, because by their absorption in material
consciousness they lose all chance of experiencing the Absolute Truth and the truth of their own self.
Therefore, all living entities who come under the control of materialistic regulations and duties are
unnecessarily harassing themselves and others, and a pure Vaiṣṇava feels great compassion and concern
for them. A devotee never uses his mind, body or words to perform any act harmful to the welfare of any
living entity.
(3) Titikṣu. A devotee forgives and forgets any offense against himself. A Vaiṣṇava is personally detached
from his material body, which is made of pus, stool, blood, and so on. Therefore the devotee is able to
overlook the obnoxious behavior he sometimes meets with in the course of preaching work and always
deals with people as a perfect gentleman. A Vaiṣṇava loudly chants the holy name of the Lord and tolerates
and forgives those fallen conditioned souls who are unable to reciprocate properly with a pure devotee.
(4) Satya-sāra. A devotee always remembers that he is the eternal servant of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, who is omniscient, the reservoir of all pleasure and the ultimate enjoyer of all activities. By
avoiding activities outside devotional service, a devotee remains fixed in the truth, does not uselessly waste
time and thus becomes bold, powerful and steady.
(5) Anavadyātmā. A devotee knows that the material world is a temporary phantasmagoria and therefore
does not envy anyone in any material situation. He never tries to agitate others or criticize them
unnecessarily.
(6) Sama. A devotee remains steady and equal in material happiness or distress, fame or infamy. His actual
wealth is his consciousness of Kṛṣṇa, and he understands that his real self-interest lies outside the scope of
material nature. He does not become excited or depressed by external events, but remains fixed in
consciousness of the omnipotency of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
(7) Sarvopakāraka. Neglecting one's selfish desires and working for the satisfaction of others is called
paropakāra, whereas causing trouble to others for one's personal gratification is called parāpakāra. A
devotee always works for the pleasure of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the resting place of all living entities, and thus
a devotee's activities are ultimately pleasing to everyone. Devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa is the
perfectional stage of welfare work, since Lord Kṛṣṇa is the supreme controller of everyone's happiness and
distress. Foolish persons under the influence of false egotism, considering themselves to be the ultimate
well-wishers of others, execute superficial materialistic activities rather than attending to the eternal
happiness of others. Because a devotee remains pure and engages in missionary activities, he is everyone's
best friend.
(8) Kāmair ahata-dhī. Ordinary persons see all material things as objects for their personal gratification and
thus try to acquire or control them. Ultimately a man wants to possess a woman and enjoy sex gratification
with her. The Supreme Lord supplies the desired fuel that causes the fire of lust to burn painfully in one's
heart, but the Lord does not give self-realization to such a misguided person. Lord Kṛṣṇa is transcendental
and neutral, but if one is eager to exploit the Lord's creation, the Lord gives one facility through māyā, and
one becomes cheated of real happiness by entangling himself in the false role of a great and lusty enjoyer
of the world. On the other hand, one who has taken full shelter of Kṛṣṇa is enriched with perfect knowledge
and bliss and is not cheated by the seductive appearances of the material world. A pure devotee does not
follow the path of the foolish deer, which is seduced by the hunter's horn and killed. A devotee is never
attracted by the sensuous entreaties of a beautiful woman, and he avoids hearing from bewildered karmīs
about the so-called glories of material acquisition. Similarly, a pure devotee is not bewildered by aroma or
taste. He does not become attached to sumptuous eating, nor does he spend the whole day making
arrangements for bodily comfort. The only actual enjoyer of God's creation is the Lord Himself, and the
living entities are secondary enjoyers who experience unlimited pleasure through the Lord's pleasure. This
perfect process of experiencing pleasure is called bhakti-yoga, or pure devotional service, and a devotee
never sacrifices his auspicious position of steady intelligence, even in the face of so-called material
opportunity.
(9) Dānta. A devotee is naturally repelled by sinful activities and controls his senses by dedicating all his acts
to Kṛṣṇa. This requires steady concentration and a cautious mentality.
(lo) Mṛdu. A materialistic person will always see people as friends or enemies and thus will sometimes
justify cruel or small-minded behavior in order to subdue his opponents. Since a devotee has taken shelter
 of Lord Kṛṣṇa, he does not consider anyone his enemy and is never disturbed by the tendency to desire or
enjoy the suffering of others. Thus he is mṛdu, or gentle and sublime.
(11) Śuci. A devotee never touches that which is impure or improper, and simply by remembering such a
pure devotee, one is freed from the tendency to sin. Because of his perfect behavior, a devotee is called
śuci, or pure.
(12) Akiñcana. A devotee is free from possessiveness and is not eager to enjoy or renounce anything, since
he considers everything to be Lord Kṛṣṇa's property.
(13) Anīha. A devotee never acts on his own behalf, but rather for the service of Lord Kṛṣṇa. He is therefore
aloof from ordinary, worldly affairs.
(14) Mita-bhuk. A devotee accepts material sense objects only as far as necessary, to keep himself healthy
and fit in Lord Kṛṣṇa's service. He is therefore not entangled by his sense activities and never injures his
self-realization. When necessary, a devotee can give up anything for Lord Kṛṣṇa's service, but he does not
accept or reject anything for his personal prestige.
(15) Śānta. Those trying to exploit the Lord's creation are always disturbed. A devotee, however, is
detached from such pointless activities and understands sense gratification to be diametrically opposed to
his self-interest. Being always engaged according to the Lord's desire, he remains peaceful.
(16) Sthira. Remembering that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the basis of everything, a devotee does not become fearful or
impatient.
(17) Mat-śaraṇa. A devotee does not take pleasure in anything except serving Lord Kṛṣṇa and is constantly
attentive in the execution of his duties. A devotee knows that only Lord Kṛṣṇa can protect him and engage
him in useful work.
(18) Muni. A devotee is thoughtful and through intelligent contemplation avoids becoming distracted from
his spiritual advancement. By intelligence he is freed from doubts about Lord Kṛṣṇa and confronts all
problems in life with steady Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
(19) Apramatta. One who forgets the Supreme Lord is more or less crazy, but a devotee remains sane by
offering his activities to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
(20) Gabhīrātmā. As a devotee merges into the ocean of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his own consciousness
becomes deeper and deeper; ordinary, superficial persons hovering on the material platform cannot
fathom the extent of a devotee's awareness.
(21) Dhṛtimān. By controlling the urges of the tongue and genitals the devotee remains steady and patient
and does not impulsively change his position.
(22) Jita-ṣaḍ-guṇa. By spiritual knowledge, a devotee is able to conquer the pushings of hunger, thirst,
lamentation, illusion, old age and death.
(23) Amānī. A devotee is not puffed up, and even if he is famous, he does not take such fame very seriously.
(24) Māna-da. A devotee offers all respects to others, since everyone is part and parcel of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
(25) Kalya. A devotee is expert in making people understand the truth of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
(26) Maitra. A devotee does not cheat anyone by encouraging them in the bodily concept of life; rather, by
his missionary work a devotee is the true friend of everyone.
(27) Kāruṇika. A devotee tries to make people sane and thus is most merciful. He is para-duḥkha-duḥkhī, or
one who is unhappy to see the unhappiness of others.
(28) Kavi. A devotee is expert in studying the transcendental qualities of Lord Kṛṣṇa and is able to show the
harmony and compatibility of the Lord's apparently contradictory qualities. This is possible through expert
knowledge of the absolute nature of the Lord. Lord Caitanya is softer than a rose and harder than a
thunderbolt, but these opposing qualities can easily be understood in terms of the Lord's transcendental
nature and purpose. One who is always able to understand the truth of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, without
opposition or confusion, is called kavi, or most learned.
The position of those on the spiritual path can be understood in terms of their development of the qualities
mentioned above. Ultimately, the most important quality is to take shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa, since the Lord can
award all good qualities to His sincere devotee. In the lowest stage of devotional service one acts with a
desire to enjoy sense gratification but at the same time tries to offer the fruits to the Lord. This stage is
called karma-miśrā bhakti. As one gradually purifies himself in devotional service, he becomes detached
through knowledge and gains relief from anxiety. In this stage he becomes attached to transcendental
knowledge, and therefore this stage is called jñāna-miśrā bhakti, or devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa with a
desire to enjoy the fruits of transcendental knowledge. But because pure love for Kṛṣṇa is actually the
greatest happiness and the natural position of the living entity, a sincere devotee gradually overcomes his
desire to enjoy sense gratification and knowledge and comes to the stage of pure devotional service, which
is devoid of personal desire. Na karmāṇi tyajed yogī karmabhis tyajyate hi saḥ: "The yogī should not give up
his work, but rather should cultivate detachment by which his material activities will automatically vanish."
In other words, one should continue to perform one's prescribed duties, even imperfectly. If one is sincere
about advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then by the strength of bhakti-yoga his activities will gradually be
transformed into pure loving service.
There are innumerable examples of fruitive workers, mental speculators and materialistic devotees who
became perfect by the strength of devotional service. By rendering loving service to Kṛṣṇa, one
automatically experiences the greatest pleasure of life and is endowed with perfect knowledge. There is
nothing lacking in the process of pure devotional service, and there is no need for any extraneous endeavor
to acquire sense pleasure or philosophical satisfaction. One must be completely convinced that simply by
serving Kṛṣṇa one will get all perfection in life. Even if one lacks some or all of the above-mentioned
qualities, one should sincerely engage in Lord Kṛṣṇa's service, and gradually one's character will become
perfect. One who is a sincere devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa will develop all godly qualities by the mercy of the Lord,
and one who is already serving the Lord with the above-mentioned qualities is to be understood as the
greatest devotee. As indicated in verse 32, a pure devotee of the Lord is fully aware of the pious advantages
of executing duties within the varṇāśrama system, and he is similarly aware of the harmful mistake of
neglecting such duties. Still, having full faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a devotee gives up all
ordinary social and religious activities and engages fully in devotional service. He knows that Lord Kṛṣṇa is
the ultimate source of everything and that all perfection comes from Lord Kṛṣṇa alone. Because of his
extraordinary faith, the devotee is called sattama, or the best among all living beings.
As explained by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in Upadeśāmṛta, a devotee who has not yet developed the good
qualities mentioned above but is nevertheless sincerely endeavoring for Kṛṣṇa consciousness should
receive the mercy of superior Vaiṣṇavas. One should not necessarily accept intimate association with such
an aspirant to pure devotional service, but one should be confident that by chanting the holy names of
Kṛṣṇa such a person will eventually attain all perfection. One can imagine the beauty of a society filled with
saintly persons, as described in these verses. The wonderful Kṛṣṇa conscious qualities mentioned above are
the basis of a peaceful and prosperous society, and if everyone takes to the loving service of Lord Kṛṣṇa,
then certainly the present atmosphere of fear, violence, lust, greed and insanity can be replaced by a
celestial situation in which all leaders and citizens will be happy. The essential points here are mat-śaraṇa
("one should take full shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa") and māḿ bhajeta ("one should worship the Lord through the
authorized process"). In this way the entire world can become sattama, or most perfect.

SB 11.11.33
jñātvājñātvātha ye vai māḿ yāvān yaś cāsmi yādṛśaḥ
bhajanty ananya-bhāvena te me bhaktatamā matāḥ

SYNONYMS
jñātvā — knowing; ajñātvā — not knowing; atha — thus; ye — those who; vai — certainly; mām — Me;
yāvān — as; yaḥ — who; ca — also; asmi — I am; yādṛśaḥ — how I am; bhajanti — worship; ananya-
bhāvena — with exclusive devotion; te — they; me — by Me; bhakta-tamāḥ — the best devotees; matāḥ
— are considered.

TRANSLATION
My devotees may or may not know exactly what I am, who I am and how I exist, but if they worship Me
with unalloyed love, then I consider them to be the best of devotees.

PURPORT
According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, although yāvān indicates that Lord Kṛṣṇa cannot be
limited by time or space, He becomes limited by the love of His pure devotees. For example, Lord Kṛṣṇa
never steps one foot out of Vṛndāvana, because of the intense love of its inhabitants for Him. In this way,
the Lord comes under the control of His devotees' love. The word yaḥ indicates that Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute
Truth who appears as the son of Vasudeva, or as Śyāmasundara. Yādṛśa indicates that the Lord is
ātmārāma, or completely self-satisfied, and also āpta-kāma, or "one who automatically fulfills all of His
desires." Still, being affected by the love of His devotees, the Lord sometimes appears to be anātmārāma,
or dependent on the love of His devotees, and anāptakāma, unable to achieve His desire without the
cooperation of His devotees. Actually, the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, is always independent, but He reciprocates
the intense love of His devotees and thus appears to be dependent on them, just as He apparently became
dependent on Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā during His childhood pastimes in Vṛndāvana. The word ajñātvā
 ("inexperienced, lacking knowledge") indicates that sometimes a devotee may not have a proper
philosophical understanding of the Personality of Godhead or due to love may temporarily forget the Lord's
position. In Bhagavad-gītā (11.41) Arjuna says,
sakheti matvā prasabhaḿ yad uktaḿ he kṛṣṇa he yādava he sakheti
ajānatā mahimānaḿ tavedaḿ mayā pramādāt praṇayena vāpi
"I have in the past addressed You as 'O Kṛṣṇa,' 'O Yādava,' 'O my friend,' without knowing Your glories.
Please forgive whatever I may have done in madness or in love." Arjuna's words ajānatā mahimānam have
the same meaning as Kṛṣṇa's words ajñātvā mām in this verse of the Bhāgavatam. Both indicate incomplete
understanding of Kṛṣṇa's glories. In Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna says, praṇayena: his forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa's
supreme position was caused by his love for Him. In this verse, Kṛṣṇa excuses such lapses on the part of His
devotees with the words ajñātvā mām, which indicate that even though devotees may not fully appreciate
His exalted position, Kṛṣṇa accepts their loving service. Thus this verse clearly reveals the supreme position
of bhakti. Lord Kṛṣṇa also states in Bhagavad-gītā (11.54):
bhaktyā tv ananyayā śakya aham evaḿ-vidho 'rjuna
jñātum draṣṭuḿ ca tattvena praveṣṭuḿ ca parantapa
"My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you,
and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding."
Although one may develop innumerable saintly qualities, without love of Kṛṣṇa one will not achieve
complete success. One must understand the Personality of Godhead as He is and love Him. Even if one is
not capable of analytically understanding the position of God, if one simply loves Kṛṣṇa, then one is
certainly perfect. Many of the residents of Vṛndāvana had no idea that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, nor did they know of Kṛṣṇa's potencies or incarnations. They simply loved Kṛṣṇa with their hearts
and souls, and therefore they are considered most perfect.

SB 11.11.34-41
mal-lińga-mad-bhakta-jana-darśana-sparśanārcanam
paricaryā stutiḥ prahva-guṇa-karmānukīrtanam
mat-kathā-śravaṇe śraddhā mad-anudhyānam uddhava
sarva-lābhopaharaṇaḿ dāsyenātma-nivedanam
maj-janma-karma-kathanaḿ mama parvānumodanam
gīta-tāṇḍava-vāditra-goṣṭhībhir mad-gṛhotsavaḥ
yātrā bali-vidhānaḿ ca sarva-vārṣika-parvasu
vaidikī tāntrikī dīkṣā madīya-vrata-dhāraṇam
mamārcā-sthāpane śraddhā svataḥ saḿhatya codyamaḥ
udyānopavanākrīḍa-pura-mandira-karmaṇi
sammārjanopalepābhyāḿ seka-maṇḍala-vartanaiḥ
gṛha-śuśrūṣaṇaḿ mahyaḿ dāsa-vad yad amāyayā
amānitvam adambhitvaḿ kṛtasyāparikīrtanam
api dīpāvalokaḿ me nopayuñjyān niveditam
yad yad iṣṭatamaḿ loke yac cāti-priyam ātmanaḥ
tat tan nivedayen mahyaḿ tad ānantyāya kalpate

SYNONYMS
mat-lińga — My appearance in this world as the Deity, etc.; mat-bhakta jana — My devotees; darśana —
seeing; sparśana — touching; arcanam — and worshiping; paricaryā — rendering personal service; stutiḥ —
offering prayers of glorification; prahva — obeisances; guṇa — My qualities; karma — and activities;
anukīrtanam — constantly glorifying; mat-kathā — topics about Me; śravaṇe — in hearing; śraddhā — faith
due to love; mat-anudhyānam — always meditating on Me; uddhava — O Uddhava; sarva-lābha — all that
one acquires; upaharaṇam — offering; dāsyena — by accepting oneself as My servant; ātma-nivedanam —
self-surrender; mat-janma-karma-kathanam — glorifying My birth and activities; mama — My; parva — in
festivals such as Janmāṣṭamī; anumodanam — taking great pleasure; gīta — by songs; tāṇḍava — dancing;
vāditra — musical instruments; goṣṭhībhiḥ — and discussions among devotees; mat-gṛha — in My temple;
utsavaḥ — festivals; yātrā — celebrations; bali-vidhānam — making offerings; ca — also; sarva — in all;
vārṣika — annual; parvasu — in the celebrations; vaidikī — mentioned in the Vedas; tāntrikī — mentioned
in literatures such as the Pañcarātra; dīkṣā — initiation; madīya — in relation to Me; vrata — vows;
dhāraṇam — observing; mama — My; arcā — of the Deity form; sthāpane — in the installation; śraddhā —
being faithfully attached; svataḥ — by oneself; saḿhatya — with others; ca — also; udyamaḥ — endeavor;
udyāna — of flower gardens; upavana — orchards; ākrīḍa — places of pastimes; pura — devotional cities;
mandira — and temples; karmaṇi — in the construction; sammārjana — by thoroughly sweeping and
dusting; upalepābhyām — then by smearing water and cow dung; seka — by sprinkling scented water;
maṇḍala-vartanaiḥ — by construction of maṇḍalas; gṛha — of the temple, which is My home; śuśrūṣaṇam
— service; mahyam — for My sake; dāsa-vat — being like a servant; yat — which; amāyayā — without
duplicity; amānitvam — being without false prestige; adambhitvam — being prideless; kṛtasya — one's
devotional activities; aparikīrtanam — not advertising; api — moreover; dīpa — of lamps; avalokam — the
light; me — which belong to Me; na — not; upayuñjyāt — one should engage; niveditam — things already
offered to others; yat yat — anything; iṣṭa-tamam — most desired; loke — in the material world; yat ca —
and anything; ati-priyam — most dear; ātmanaḥ — of oneself; tat tat — that very thing; nivedayet — one
should offer; mahyam — unto Me; tat — that offering; ānantyāya — for immortality; kalpate — qualifies
one.

TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, one can give up false pride and prestige by engaging in the following devotional
activities. One may purify oneself by seeing, touching, worshiping, serving, and offering prayers of
glorification and obeisances to My form as the Deity and to My pure devotees. One should also glorify
My transcendental qualities and activities, hear with love and faith the narrations of My glories and
constantly meditate on Me. One should offer to Me whatever one acquires, and accepting oneself as My
eternal servant, one should give oneself completely to Me. One should always discuss My birth and
activities and enjoy life by participating in festivals, such as Janmāṣṭamī, which glorify My pastimes. In
My temple, one should also participate in festivals and ceremonies by singing, dancing, playing musical
instruments and discussing Me with other Vaiṣṇavas. One should observe all the regularly celebrated
annual festivals by attending ceremonies, pilgrimages and making offerings. One should also observe
religious vows such as Ekādaśī and take initiation by the procedures mentioned in the Vedas, Pañcarātra
and other, similar literatures. One should faithfully and lovingly support the installation of My Deity, and
individually or in cooperation with others one should work for the construction of Kṛṣṇa conscious
temples and cities as well as flower gardens, fruit gardens and special areas to celebrate My pastimes.
One should consider oneself to be My humble servant, without duplicity, and thus should help to clean
the temple, which is My home. First one should sweep and dust thoroughly, and then one should further
cleanse with water and cow dung. Having dried the temple, one should sprinkle scented water and
decorate the temple with mandalas. One should thus act just like My servant. A devotee should never
advertise his devotional activities; therefore his service will not be the cause of false pride. One should
never use lamps that are offered to Me for other purposes simply because there is need of illumination,
and similarly, one should never offer to Me anything that has been offered to or used by others.
Whatever is most desired by one within this material world, and whatever is most dear to oneself — one
should offer that very thing to Me. Such an offering qualifies one for eternal life.

PURPORT
In these eight verses Lord Kṛṣṇa ends His discussion of saintly qualities in general and describes the specific
characteristics of the devotees of the Lord. Lord Kṛṣṇa has clearly described both here and in Bhagavad-gītā
that the ultimate goal of life is to surrender fully to Him and become His pure devotee. Herein the Lord
elaborately describes the process of devotional service. One should offer everything that one acquires to
the Lord, thinking, "Lord Kṛṣṇa has sent these things so that I may serve Him nicely." One ultimately should
understand that the minute spirit soul is part and parcel of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and thus one should surrender one's
very self to the Lord. Just as an ordinary servant is meek and submissive to his master, similarly, a devotee
should always be submissive to his spiritual master, who is a representative of Lord Kṛṣṇa. He should realize
how his body and mind are purified simply by his seeing the spiritual master or by accepting on his head the
water offered to the spiritual master. It is emphasized in these verses that one should attend Vaiṣṇava
festivals. As far as possible, large festivals should be held all over the world so that people can gradually
learn how to perfect human life. The words mamārcā-sthāpane śraddhā are significant. Here Lord Kṛṣṇa
states that one should have faith in His Deity worship, since the Lord is personally present as the Deity. The
words udyānopavanākrīḍa-pura-mandira-karmaṇi indicate that there should be a serious endeavor to
construct beautiful temples and Vaiṣṇava cities with ample parks, orchards and flower gardens. An
outstanding example of such endeavors can be presently seen in India at the Māyāpur Candrodaya
Mandira.
 The words dīpāvalokaḿ me nopayuñjyān niveditam indicate that one may never use the Deity's
paraphernalia for sense gratification. If there is a shortage of electricity or lights, one may not use the
Deity's lamps, nor should one ever offer to Lord Kṛṣṇa paraphernalia previously offered to or used by
others. In these verses, the importance of Deity worship and Vaiṣṇava festivals is emphasized in many
ways. Lord Kṛṣṇa promises that whoever sincerely performs these activities will certainly go back home,
back to Godhead (tad ānantyāya kalpate). One should offer his most dear possession to Lord Kṛṣṇa, not that
which is superfluous or unwanted. If one is most attached to his family, one should see that his family is
engaged in Lord Kṛṣṇa's service. If one is most attached to money, that should be given for propagating
Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if one considers one's intelligence to be most valuable, he should preach Kṛṣṇa
consciousness with great logic and reason. If we offer our most valuable possessions to Lord Kṛṣṇa, we will
automatically become dear to the Lord and go back to Godhead.

SB 11.11.42
sūryo 'gnir brāhmaṇā gāvo vaiṣṇavaḥ khaḿ maruj jalam
bhūr ātmā sarva-bhūtāni bhadra pūjā-padāni me

SYNONYMS
sūryaḥ — the sun; agniḥ — fire; brāhmaṇāḥ — the brāhmaṇas; gāvaḥ — the cows; vaiṣṇavaḥ — the
devotee of the Lord; kham — the sky; marut — the wind; jalam — water; bhūḥ — the earth; ātmā — the
individual soul; sarva-bhūtāni — all living entities; bhadra — O saintly Uddhava; pūjā — of worship; padāni
— the places; me — of Me.

TRANSLATION
O saintly Uddhava, please know that you may worship Me in the sun, fire, brāhmaṇas, cows, Vaiṣṇavas,
sky, wind, water, earth, individual soul and all living entities.

PURPORT
Unless one understands that Lord Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading and that everything is resting within the Lord, one's
Kṛṣṇa consciousness is third class and materialistic. It is clearly stated in all Vedic literatures that the
Supreme Absolute Truth is the source of everything. Everything is within Him, and He is within everything.
To avoid a materialistic conception of Lord Kṛṣṇa, one should not think that the Lord exists only in a
particular time and place. Rather, one should understand that He exists at all times and in all places and
that one may search for and find Lord Kṛṣṇa within all things. The word pūjā-padāni indicates that Lord
Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading, but this does not mean that all things are Lord Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa speaks this verse to
clarify His supremacy as the all-pervading Personality of Godhead and to show the path of complete self-
realization.

SB 11.11.43-45
sūrye tu vidyayā trayyā haviṣāgnau yajeta mām
ātithyena tu viprāgrye goṣv ańga yavasādinā
vaiṣṇave bandhu-sat-kṛtyā hṛdi khe dhyāna-niṣṭhayā
vāyau mukhya-dhiyā toye dravyais toya-puraḥsaraiḥ
sthaṇḍile mantra-hṛdayair bhogair ātmānam ātmani
kṣetra-jñaḿ sarva-bhūteṣu samatvena yajeta mām

SYNONYMS
sūrye — in the sun; tu — indeed; vidyayā trayyā — by offering selected Vedic hymns of praise, worship and
obeisances; haviṣā — with offerings of clarified butter; agnau — in the fire; yajeta — one should worship;
mām — Me; ātithyena — by respectfully receiving them as guests even when uninvited; tu — indeed; vipra
— of brāhmaṇas; agrye — in the best; goṣu — in the cows; ańga — O Uddhava; yavasa-ādinā — by offering
grass and other paraphernalia for their maintenance; vaiṣṇave — in the Vaiṣṇava; bandhu — with loving
friendship; sat-kṛtyā — by honoring; hṛdi — within the heart; khe — within the inner space; dhyāna — in
meditation; niṣṭhayā — by being fixed; vāyau — in the air; mukhya — the most important; dhiyā —
considering by intelligence; toye — in water; dravyaiḥ — by material elements; toya-puraḥ-saraiḥ — by
water, etc.; sthaṇḍile — in the earth; mantra-hṛdayaiḥ — by application of confidential mantras; bhogaiḥ —
by offering of materially enjoyable objects; ātmānam — the jīva soul; ātmani — within the body; kṣetra-
 jñam — the Supersoul; sarva-bhūteṣu — within all living beings; samatvena — seeing Him equally
everywhere; yajeta — one should worship; mām — Me.

TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, one should worship Me within the sun by chanting selected Vedic mantras and by
performing worship and offering obeisances. One may worship Me within fire by offering oblations of
ghee, and one may worship Me among the brāhmaṇas by respectfully receiving them as guests, even
when uninvited. I can be worshiped within the cows by offerings of grass and other suitable grains and
paraphernalia for the pleasure and health of the cows, and one may worship Me within the Vaiṣṇavas by
offering loving friendship to them and honoring them in all respects. Through steady meditation I am
worshiped within the inner space of the heart, and within the air I can be worshiped by knowledge that
prāṇa, the life air, is the chief among elements. I am worshiped within water by offerings of water itself,
along with other elements such as flowers and tulasī leaves, and one may worship Me within the earth
by proper application of confidential seed mantras. One may worship Me within the individual living
entity by offering food and other enjoyable substances, and one may worship Me within all living entities
by seeing the Supersoul within all of them, thus maintaining equal vision.

PURPORT
Significantly, the Lord emphasizes in these three verses that one should worship the Supreme Personality of
Godhead who is expanded within all living beings. It is not recommended that one accept any material or
spiritual object other than the Lord as supreme. By maintaining steady consciousness of the Lord in His all-
pervading feature, one can remain in a worshipful mood twenty-four hours a day. Thus, one will naturally
try to engage all material and spiritual elements in the loving service of Lord Kṛṣṇa. If because of ignorance
one forgets the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one may become inclined to worship powerful material
phenomena independent of the Supreme Lord, or one may foolishly consider oneself to be supreme. One
should remain sane and accept the worshipable presence of the Supreme Lord within everything.

SB 11.11.46
dhiṣṇyeṣv ity eṣu mad-rūpaḿ śańkha-cakra-gadāmbujaiḥ
yuktaḿ catur-bhujaḿ śāntaḿ dhyāyann arcet samāhitaḥ

SYNONYMS
dhiṣṇyeṣu — in the previously mentioned places of worship; iti — thus (by the previously mentioned
processes); eṣu — in them; mat-rūpam — My transcendental form; śańkha — with the conchshell; cakra —
Sudarśana disc; gadā — club; ambujaiḥ — and lotus flower; yuktam — equipped; catuḥ-bhujam — with four
arms; śāntam — peaceful; dhyāyan — meditating; arcet — one should worship; samāhitaḥ — with
complete attention.

TRANSLATION
Thus, in the previously mentioned places of worship and according to the processes I have described, one
should meditate on My peaceful, transcendental form with four arms holding a conchshell, Sudarśana
disc, club and lotus flower. In this way, one should worship Me with fixed attention.

PURPORT
The Lord has previously explained that He appears in different transcendental forms to His pure devotees
so that they may unlimitedly increase their love of Godhead. Here is given a general description of the four-
armed Nārāyaṇa form, which pervades the material world as Supersoul, or Paramātmā. The pure devotees,
however, do not meditate upon the Lord within the heart but rather render active service to a specific form
of the Lord, such as Rāma or Kṛṣṇa, and thus perfect their realization of Bhagavān, or the Supreme Lord,
who engages in transcendental pastimes with His devotees in the spiritual world. Yet even within the
material world one can spiritualize one's existence by seeing the Supreme Lord within everything and
worshiping Him by constant meditation. As mentioned in the previous verses, one should also go to the
temple and specifically worship the Deity and participate in spiritual festivals. One should not be puffed up
and claim that because one is meditating on the Lord within nature there is no need to go to the temple.
Temple worship has been repeatedly emphasized by the Lord Himself. The word samāhita in this verse
indicates samādhi. If one very carefully worships the Deity or hears and chants about the pastimes of Lord
Kṛṣṇa, one is certainly in samādhi. By worshiping and glorifying the Lord twenty-four hours a day one
becomes a liberated soul and gradually rises completely beyond the influence of the material creation. The
living entity is called ātmā, or eternal soul, because of his relationship with the Paramātmā, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. By worshiping the Lord, our eternal nature revives, and as we increase our
enthusiasm and steadiness in devotional service, material existence fades away.

SB 11.11.47
iṣṭā-pūrtena mām evaḿ yo yajeta samāhitaḥ
labhate mayi sad-bhaktiḿ mat-smṛtiḥ sādhu-sevayā

SYNONYMS
iṣṭā — by sacrificial performances for one's own benefit; pūrtena — and pious works for the benefit of
others, such as digging wells; mām — Me; evam — thus; yaḥ — one who; yajeta — worships; samāhitaḥ —
with mind fixed in Me; labhate — such a person obtains; mayi — in Me; sat-bhaktim — unflinching
devotional service; mat-smṛtiḥ — realized knowledge of Me; sādhu — with all superior qualities; sevayā —
by service.

TRANSLATION
One who has executed sacrificial performances and pious works for My satisfaction, and who thus
worships Me with fixed attention, obtains unflinching devotional service unto Me. By the excellent
quality of his service such a worshiper obtains realized knowledge of Me.

PURPORT
The word iṣṭā-pūrtena, which means "sacrificial performances and pious works," does not indicate
deviation from the pure devotional service of the Lord. Lord Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, is called Yajña, or the Lord of
sacrifice, and in Bhagavad-gītā (5.29) Lord Kṛṣṇa says, bhoktāraḿ yajña-tapasām: "I am the actual enjoyer
of all sacrifice." The highest sacrifice is to chant the holy names of the Lord, and by taking shelter of the
Lord's names, one will acquire unflinching devotion and realized knowledge of the Absolute Truth. A
realized devotee is very attentive in his devotional service, taking it as his life and soul. He keeps himself fit
for devotional service by constantly worshiping and glorifying the lotus feet of the spiritual master and the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such hari-nāma-kīrtana and guru-pūjā are the only practical methods by
which one can achieve pure devotional service. When hari-kīrtana is expanded, it is called kṛṣṇa-sańkīrtana.
One should not dry up by performing unauthorized austerities or sacrifices; rather, one should engage with
all enthusiasm in the great sacrifice of śrī-kṛṣṇa-sańkīrtana, which enables one to easily achieve the highest
perfection of human life.

SB 11.11.48
prāyeṇa bhakti-yogena sat-sańgena vinoddhava
nopāyo vidyate samyak prāyaṇaḿ hi satām aham

SYNONYMS
prāyeṇa — for all practical purposes; bhakti-yogena — devotional service unto Me; sat-sańgena — which is
made possible by association with My devotees; vinā — without; uddhava — O Uddhava; na — not;
upāyaḥ — any means; vidyate — there is; samyak — that actually works; prāyaṇam — the true path of life
or actual shelter; hi — because; satām — of liberated souls; aham — I.

TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, I am personally the ultimate shelter and way of life for saintly liberated persons, and
thus if one does not engage in My loving devotional service, which is made possible by associating with
My devotees, then for all practical purposes, one possesses no effective means for escaping from
material existence.
PURPORT
Lord Kṛṣṇa has described to Uddhava the characteristics of jñāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga, both of which are
considered to be spiritual processes. Now, however, Lord Kṛṣṇa clearly indicates that bhakti-yoga is the only
real means to totally free oneself from material existence, and that bhakti-yoga is not possible without sat-
sańga, or association with other Vaiṣṇavas. On the path of bhakti-miśra jñāna, or speculation on the
Absolute Truth mixed with devotion, one is still affected by the three modes of material nature. The pure
soul, liberated from all material qualities, has no tendency or desire to engage in philosophical speculation,
severe austerities or impersonal meditation. The pure soul simply loves Kṛṣṇa and wants to serve Him
constantly. Jīvera 'svarūpa' haya — kṛṣṇera 'nitya-dāsa.' [Cc. Madhya 20.108]. Pure devotional service to
the Lord is called kevala-bhakti, whereas devotional service mixed with speculative propensities is called
guṇa-bhūta-bhakti, or devotional service polluted by the material modes of nature. One who is actually
intelligent does not make a show of philosophical wizardry but rather discerns the superiority of pure love
of Godhead and takes to the path of kevala-bhakti. One who emphasizes so-called intellectual
achievements is actually less intelligent, because such a person is more attracted to intelligence than to the
pure soul, which is superior. It should be understood, however, that pure devotional service is not
nonphilosophical or anti-intellectual. The Absolute Truth is far more extensive than partial truth. Therefore,
one who is in full knowledge of Lord Kṛṣṇa has the greatest facility to engage in philosophical analysis, since
a pure devotee is working with the entire range of conceptual categories. Those who do not know Lord
Kṛṣṇa are attracted to the impersonal Brahman or the localized Paramātmā, but they are not aware of the
ultimate category of understanding called Bhagavān, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lacking
knowledge of Bhagavān, such imperfect philosophers certainly do not understand the expansion,
interaction and withdrawal of the Lord's innumerable potencies and thus cannot fully analyze them. By
faithfully accepting everything Lord Kṛṣṇa speaks as the absolute truth, one comes to the mature platform
of philosophy and achieves perfect knowledge.
In addition to philosophical or intellectual understanding, pure devotional service also awards all other
benefits in life, both material and spiritual; therefore one who for any purpose whatsoever accepts a
process other than devotional service has unfortunately misunderstood the nature of pure devotional
service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. It is emphasized here that one must cultivate devotional service in the association of
other devotees. On the other hand, the jñāna-yoga process is cultivated alone, because it is difficult for
even two mental speculators to be in the same place without their association degenerating into constant
quarrel. Other processes of self-realization are compared to the nipples on a goat's neck. They look just like
breast nipples, but they will not give any milk whatsoever. In this regard Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
has quoted the following verses, spoken by Śrī Uddhava, Śukadeva Gosvāmī and Nārada Muni respectively.
tāpa-trayeṇābhihitasya ghore santapyamānasya bhavādhvanīha
paśyāmi nānyac charaṇaḿ tavāńghri-dvandvātapatrād amṛtābhivarṣāt
"My dear Lord, for one who is being cruelly burned in the blazing fire of material miseries, having fallen into
the network of material existence, I do not see any other possible shelter besides Your two lotus feet,
which are a shower of nectar extinguishing the fire of suffering." (Bhāg. 11.19.9)
saḿsāra-sindhum ati-dustaram uttitīrṣor
nānyaḥ plavo bhagavataḥ puruṣottamasya
līlā-kathā-rasa-niṣevaṇam antareṇa
puḿso bhaved vividha-duḥkha-davārditasya
"Material existence is like an ocean that is extremely difficult to cross. The conditioned souls have fallen
into this ocean, which is not cool but rather burns them with the fire of misery. For one who has fallen into
this sea and desires to get out, there is no other rescue boat except the constant relishing within oneself of
the pastime narrations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." (Bhāg. 12.4.40)
kiḿ vā yogena sāńkhyena nyāsa-svadhyāyayor api
kiḿ vā śreyobhir anyaiś ca na yatrātma-prado hariḥ
"What is the use of the yoga system, philosophical speculation, mere renunciation of the world, or Vedic
studies? In fact, what is the use of any so-called auspicious process without Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the source of
our very existence?" (Bhāg. 4.31.12)
If, as stated in this verse, it is generally (prāyeṇa) impossible to escape material bondage without
devotional service in the association of devotees, one can simply imagine the probabilities of liberation in
Kali-yuga without the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The chances are certainly zero. One may concoct a
type of liberation on the mental platform, or one may live in a so-called spiritual society of mutual flattery,
but if one actually wants to go back home, back to Godhead, and see with spiritual eyes the beautiful
kingdom of God called Kṛṣṇaloka, one must take to Lord Caitanya's movement and worship Lord Kṛṣṇa in
the association of the bhakta-gaṇa, the devotees of the Lord.

SB 11.11.49
athaitat paramaḿ guhyaḿ śṛṇvato yadu-nandana
su-gopyam api vakṣyāmi tvaḿ me bhṛtyaḥ suhṛt sakhā
 SYNONYMS
atha — thus; etat — this; paramam — supreme; guhyam — secret; śṛṇvataḥ — to you who are listening;
yadu-nandana — O beloved of the Yadu dynasty; su-gopyam — most confidential; api — even; vakṣyāmi —
I will speak; tvam — you; me — of Me; bhṛtyaḥ — are the servant; su-hṛt — well-wisher; sakhā — and
friend.

TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, O beloved of the Yadu dynasty, because you are My servant, well-wisher and friend, I
shall now speak to you the most confidential knowledge. Please hear as I explain these great mysteries
to you.

PURPORT
It is stated in the First Chapter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.1.8), brūyuḥ snigdhasya śiṣyasya guravo guhyam
apy uta: a bona fide spiritual master naturally reveals all transcendental secrets to a sincere disciple. Śrī
Uddhava had completely surrendered to Lord Kṛṣṇa, and then only could the Lord explain such mysteries to
him, because without complete faith the transmission of spiritual knowledge is impossible. Other processes
of self realization, such as philosophical speculation, are imperfect and unsteady because the performer has
personal desires, and there is no definite procedure by which to obtain the full mercy of the Supreme Lord.
On the other hand, association with the pure devotees of the Lord is a self-sufficient process that is
guaranteed to award the desired result. One must only learn how to associate with the pure devotees and
one's life will be perfect. That is the sum and substance of this chapter.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
to the Eleventh Canto, Eleventh Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Symptoms of
Conditioned and Liberated Living Entities."
 Chapter 12: Beyond Renunciation and Knowledge

SB 11.12.1-2
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
na rodhayati māḿ yogo na sāńkhyaḿ dharma eva ca
na svādhyāyas tapas tyāgo neṣṭā-pūrtaḿ na dakṣiṇā
vratāni yajñaś chandāḿsi tīrthāni niyamā yamāḥ
yathāvarundhe sat-sańgaḥ sarva-sańgāpaho hi mām

SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; na rodhayati — does not control; mām —
Me; yogaḥ — the aṣṭāńga-yoga system; na — neither; sāńkhyam — the analytic study of the material
elements; dharmaḥ — ordinary piety such as nonviolence; eva — indeed; ca — also; na — neither;
svādhyāyaḥ — chanting the Vedas; tapaḥ — penances; tyāgaḥ — the renounced order of life; na — nor;
iṣṭā-pūrtam — the performance of sacrifice and public welfare activities such as digging wells or planting
trees; na — neither; dakṣiṇā — charity; vratāni — taking vows such as fasting completely on Ekādaśī;
yajñaḥ — worship of the demigods; chandāḿsi — chanting confidential mantras; tīrthāni — going to holy
places of pilgrimage; niyamāḥ — following major instructions for spiritual discipline; yamāḥ — and also
minor regulations; yathā — as; avarundhe — brings under control; sat-sańgaḥ — association with My
devotees; sarva — all; sańga — material association; apahaḥ — removing; hi — certainly; mām — Me.

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, by associating with My pure devotees one
can destroy one's attachment for all objects of material sense gratification. Such purifying association
brings Me under the control of My devotee. One may perform the aṣṭāńga-yoga system, engage in
philosophical analysis of the elements of material nature, practice nonviolence and other ordinary
principles of piety, chant the Vedas, perform penances, take to the renounced order of life, execute
sacrificial performances and dig wells, plant trees and perform other public welfare activities, give in
charity, carry out severe vows, worship the demigods, chant confidential mantras, visit holy places or
accept major and minor disciplinary injunctions, but even by performing such activities one does not
bring Me under his control.

PURPORT
The commentary of Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī on these two verses can be summarized as follows. One may serve
the devotees of the Lord through ceremonial worship or by actually associating with them. Association with
pure devotees is sufficient for self-realization because one can learn everything about spiritual
advancement from such devotees. With perfect knowledge one can achieve all that one desires, for the
process of devotional service immediately brings the blessings of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Pure devotional service is transcendental to the modes of nature, and therefore it appears mysterious to
the souls conditioned by those modes.
In the previous chapter Lord Kṛṣṇa stated, haviṣāgnau yajeta mām: "One may worship Me in fire by offering
oblations of ghee." (Bhāg. 11.11.43) Also, in verse 38 of the previous chapter it was mentioned that one
should construct parks, recreational places, orchards, vegetable gardens, and so on. These serve to attract
people to the temples of Kṛṣṇa, where they may directly engage in chanting the holy name of the Lord.
Such construction projects may be understood as pūrtam, or public welfare activities. Although Lord Kṛṣṇa
mentions in these two verses that association with His pure devotees is far more powerful than processes
such as yoga, philosophical speculation, sacrifices and public welfare activities, these secondary activities
also please Lord Kṛṣṇa, but to a lesser extent. Specifically, they please the Lord when performed by
devotees rather than by ordinary materialistic persons. Therefore the comparative term yathā ("according
 to proportion") is used. In other words, such practices as sacrifice, austerity and philosophical study may
help one become fit for rendering devotional service, and when such activities are performed by devotees
aspiring for spiritual advancement, they become somewhat pleasing to the Lord.
One may study the example of vratāni, or vows. The injunction that one should fast on Ekādaśī is a
permanent vow for all Vaiṣṇavas, and one should not conclude from these verses that one may neglect the
Ekādaśī vow. The superiority of sat-sańga, or association with pure devotees, in awarding the fruit of love of
Godhead does not mean that one should give up other processes or that these secondary processes are not
permanent factors in bhakti-yoga. There are many Vedic injunctions instructing one to execute the
agnihotra sacrifice, and the modern-day followers of Caitanya Mahāprabhu also occasionally execute fire
sacrifices. Such sacrifice is recommended by the Lord Himself in the previous chapter, and therefore it
should not be given up by the devotees of the Lord. By performing Vedic ritualistic and purificatory
processes, one is gradually elevated to the platform of devotional service, whereupon one is able to directly
worship the Absolute Truth. One Vedic injunction states, "The result awarded for fasting continuously for
one month on six different occasions can easily be achieved simply by accepting a handful of rice offered to
Lord Viṣṇu. This facility is especially offered in the Kali-yuga." Nevertheless, regulated fasting on Ekādaśī is
not an impediment to spiritual advancement. Rather, it is a perpetual aspect of devotional service and can
be considered an auxiliary principle supporting the main principle of worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa and His
devotees. Because such secondary principles help one become fit for executing the primary processes of
devotional service, they are also greatly beneficial. Therefore, such secondary principles are widely
mentioned throughout Vedic literature. It may be concluded that such secondary principles are essential
for advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and therefore one should never give up the principle of vrata, the
execution of prescribed vows.
In the previous chapter Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī mentioned that the words ājñāyaivaḿ guṇān doṣān (Bhāg.
11.11.32) indicate that a devotee should select Vedic principles that do not conflict with his service to the
Lord. Many of the elaborate Vedic ceremonies and complicated procedures for fasting, demigod worship
and yoga practice cause great disturbance to the supreme process of śravaṇaḿ kīrtanaḿ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23],
hearing and chanting about the Lord; therefore they are rejected by the Vaiṣṇavas. However, the processes
helpful to devotional service should be accepted. The example can be given of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, who
was instructed by the dying Bhīṣmadeva. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.9.27) Bhīṣma instructs King Yudhiṣṭhira
in dāna-dharma, or public acts of charity, rāja-dharma, or the duties of a king, mokṣa-dharma, or duties for
salvation, strī-dharma, or duties for women, and ultimately bhāgavata-dharma, or pure devotional service
to the Lord. Bhīṣma did not limit his discussion to bhāgavata-dharma, because Lord Kṛṣṇa gave Mahārāja
Yudhiṣṭhira the devotional service of acting as a king, and to execute his service Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja
required extensive knowledge of civic affairs. However, one who is not rendering such prescribed
devotional service in society should not unnecessarily involve himself in the material world, even by
practice of Vedic rituals. Nothing should distract him from the ultimate goal of satisfying Lord Kṛṣṇa.
The principle of not giving up prescribed vows may be further illustrated by the example of Mahārāja
Ambarīṣa. In the Ninth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we find that although Mahārāja Ambarīṣa performed
elaborate Vedic sacrifices, his goal was always the satisfaction of the Lord. The citizens in his kingdom did
not desire to go to heaven, because they were always hearing about the glories of Vaikuṇṭha. Ambarīṣa
Mahārāja, along with his queen, observed the vow of Ekādaśī and Dvādaśī for one year. Since Ambarīṣa
Mahārāja is considered to be a great jewel among Vaiṣṇavas, and since his behavior was always exemplary,
it is definitely concluded that such vows as fasting on Ekādaśī are imperative for Vaiṣṇavas. It is further
stated in Vedic literature, "If due to negligence a Vaiṣṇava does not fast on Ekādaśī, then his worship of
Lord Viṣṇu is useless, and he will go to hell." The members of the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness fast from grains and beans on Ekādaśī, and this vow should always be observed by all of its
members.
If one falsely thinks that one may obtain the association of Lord Kṛṣṇa merely by great austerities, brilliant
studies in Sanskrit literature, magnanimous acts of charity, etc., one's Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be distorted
and weakened. One should remember the example of Lord Caitanya, who practiced Kṛṣṇa consciousness by
constantly hearing and chanting about Lord Kṛṣṇa. If by fasting, study, austerity or sacrifice one becomes
more fit to participate in the sańkīrtana movement of Lord Caitanya, then such activities are also pleasing
to Lord Kṛṣṇa. But the Lord clearly explains here that such activities can never become central in the
practice of bhakti-yoga. They must remain in an auxiliary relationship to the supreme process of sat-sańga,
or association with pure devotees who hear and chant the glories of the Lord. Śrīla Madhvācārya has
quoted from Vedic literature that if one offends the Lord's devotees and does not learn to associate with
 them, Lord Viṣṇu personally places barriers in the path of such a person so that he may not enter into the
Lord's company.

SB 11.12.3-6
sat-sańgena hi daiteyā yātudhānā mṛgāḥ khagāḥ
gandharvāpsaraso nāgāḥ siddhāś cāraṇa-guhyakāḥ
vidyādharā manuṣyeṣu vaiśyāḥ śūdrāḥ striyo 'ntya-jāḥ
rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayas tasmiḿs tasmin yuge yuge
bahavo mat-padaḿ prāptās tvāṣṭra-kāyādhavādayaḥ
vṛṣaparvā balir bāṇo mayaś cātha vibhīṣaṇaḥ
sugrīvo hanumān ṛkṣo gajo gṛdhro vaṇikpathaḥ
vyādhaḥ kubjā vraje gopyo yajña-patnyas tathāpare

SYNONYMS
sat-sańgena — by association with My devotees; hi — certainly; daiteyāḥ — the sons of Diti; yātudhānāḥ
— demons; mṛgāḥ — animals; khagāḥ — birds; gandharva — Gandharvas; apsarasaḥ — the society girls of
heaven; nāgāḥ — snakes; siddhāḥ — residents of Siddhaloka; cāraṇa — the Cāraṇas; guhyakāḥ — the
Guhyakas; vidyādharāḥ — the residents of Vidyādharaloka; manuṣyeṣu — among the human beings;
vaiśyāḥ — mercantile men; śūdrāḥ — laborers; striyaḥ — women; antya-jāḥ — uncivilized men; rajaḥ-
tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ — those bound in the modes of passion and ignorance; tasmin tasmin — in each and
every; yuge yuge — age; bahavaḥ — many living entities; mat — My; padam — abode; prāptāḥ —
achieved; tvāṣṭra — Vṛtrāsura; kāyādhava — Prahlāda Mahārāja; ādayaḥ — and others like them;
vṛṣaparvā — named Vṛṣaparvā; baliḥ — Bali Mahārāja; bāṇaḥ — Bāṇāsura; mayaḥ — the demon Maya; ca
— also; atha — thus; vibhīṣaṇaḥ — Vibhīṣaṇa, the brother of Rāvaṇa; sugrīvaḥ — the monkey king
Sugrīva; hanumān — the great devotee Hanumān; ṛkṣaḥ — Jāmbavān; gajaḥ — the devotee-elephant
Gajendra; gṛdhraḥ — Jaṭāyu the vulture; vaṇikpathaḥ — the merchant Tulādhāra; vyādhaḥ — Dharma-
vyādha; kubjā — the former prostitute Kubjā, saved by Lord Kṛṣṇa; vraje — in Vṛndāvana; gopyaḥ — the
gopīs; yajña-patnyaḥ — the wives of the brāhmaṇas performing sacrifice; tathā — similarly; apare —
others.

TRANSLATION
In every yuga many living entities entangled in the modes of passion and ignorance gained the
association of My devotees. Thus, such living entities as the Daityas, Rākṣasas, birds, beasts, Gandharvas,
Apsarās, Nāgas, Siddhas, Cāraṇas, Guhyakas and Vidyādharas, as well as such lower-class human beings
as the vaiśyas, śūdras, women and others, were able to achieve My supreme abode. Vṛtrāsura, Prahlāda
Mahārāja and others like them also achieved My abode by association with My devotees, as did
personalities such as Vṛṣaparvā, Bali Mahārāja, Bāṇāsura, Maya, Vibhīṣaṇa, Sugrīva, Hanumān,
Jāmbavān, Gajendra, Jaṭāyu, Tulādhāra, Dharma-vyādha, Kubjā, the gopīs in Vṛndāvana and the wives of
the brāhmaṇas who were performing sacrifice.

PURPORT
The Lord has mentioned devotees such as the gopīs in Vṛndāvana and also demons like Bāṇāsura to
illustrate how He comes under the control of those who surrender to Him. It is understood that devotees
like the gopīs and others mentioned here obtained pure love of Kṛṣṇa, whereas the demons generally
obtained only salvation. Many demons were purified by association with devotees and came to accept
devotional service to the Lord as the most important among the various activities in their lives, but the
exalted devotees like Prahlāda and Bali Mahārāja know nothing except devotional service, which they
accept as their very life. Still, the reformed demons are also mentioned so that readers of Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam will understand the enormous benefits one may achieve by associating with devotees of the
Lord.
The demon Vṛtrāsura was the pious King Citraketu in his previous life, during which he associated with Śrī
Nārada Muni, Śrī Ańgirā Muni and Lord Sańkarṣaṇa. Prahlāda Mahārāja, being the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, is
considered a Daitya, or demon. Yet while still in the womb of his mother, Kayādhū, he associated with
Nārada Muni by sound vibration. The demon Vṛṣaparvā was abandoned by his mother at birth, but he was
raised by a muni and became a devotee of Lord Viṣṇu. Bali Mahārāja associated with his grandfather
Prahlāda and also with Lord Vāmanadeva. Bali Mahārāja's son, Bāṇāsura, was saved by association with his
father and Lord Śiva. He also associated with Lord Kṛṣṇa personally when the Lord cut off all but two of his
one thousand arms, which had been awarded as a benediction by Lord Śiva. Understanding the glories of
Lord Kṛṣṇa, Bāṇāsura also became a great devotee. The demon Maya Dānava constructed an assembly
house for the Pāṇḍavas and also associated with Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, eventually achieving the shelter of the
Lord. Vibhīṣaṇa was a pious-natured demon, the brother of Rāvaṇa, and he associated with Hanumān and
Rāmacandra.
Sugrīva, Hanumān, Jāmbavān and Gajendra are examples of animals who achieved the mercy of the Lord.
Jāmbavān, or Ṛkṣarāja, was a member of a race of monkeys. He personally associated with Lord Kṛṣṇa,
fighting with Him over the Syamantaka jewel. The elephant Gajendra in a previous life had association with
devotees, and at the end of his life as Gajendra he was personally saved by the Lord. Jaṭāyu, the bird who at
the cost of his own life assisted Lord Rāmacandra, associated with Śrī Garuḍa and Mahārāja Daśaratha as
well as other devotees in rāma-līlā. He also personally met with Sītā and Lord Rāma. According to Śrīla Jīva
Gosvāmī, the association that the Gandharvas, Apsarās, Nāgas, Siddhas, Cāraṇas, Guhyakas and
Vidyādharas had with the devotees is not very prominent and does not need to be mentioned. Vaṇikpatha
is a vaiśya, and his story is mentioned in the Mahābhārata in connection with the pride of Jājali Muni.
The importance of association with devotees is illustrated in the story of Dharma-vyādha, the nonviolent
hunter, as described in the Varāha Purāṇa. In a previous life he somehow became a brahma-rākṣasa, or
brāhmaṇa ghost, but was eventually saved. In a previous Kali-yuga he had the association of a Vaiṣṇava king
named Vāsu. The lady Kubjā associated directly with Lord Kṛṣṇa, and in her previous birth she had
associated with Śrī Nārada Muni The gopīs of Vṛndāvana rendered service to saintly persons in their
previous births. Having had ample association with devotees, they became gopīs in Vṛndāvana in their next
lives and associated with the eternally liberated gopīs who had descended there. They also had association
with Tulasī-devī, or Vṛndā-devī. The wives of the brāhmaṇas performing sacrifice had association with
women sent by Lord Kṛṣṇa to sell flower garlands and betel nuts and heard about the Lord from them.

SB 11.12.7
te nādhīta-śruti-gaṇā nopāsita-mahattamāḥ
avratātapta-tapasaḥ mat-sańgān mām upāgatāḥ

SYNONYMS
te — they; na — not; adhīta — having studied; śruti-gaṇāḥ — the Vedic literatures; na — not; upāsita —
having worshiped; mahat-tamaḥ — great saints; avrata — without vows; atapta — not having undergone;
tapasaḥ — austerities; mat-sańgāt — simply by association with Me and My devotees; mām — Me;
upāgatāḥ — they achieved.

TRANSLATION
The persons I have mentioned did not undergo serious studies of the Vedic literature, nor did they
worship great saintly persons, nor did they execute severe vows or austerities. Simply by association with
Me and My devotees, they achieved Me.

PURPORT
Study of the Vedic literature, worship of those who teach the śruti-mantras, acceptance of vows and
austerities, etc., as mentioned previously, are helpful processes that please the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. In this verse, however, the Lord again explains that all such processes are secondary to the
essential process of associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His pure devotees. By other
processes one may gain the association of the Lord and His devotees, which will actually give the perfection
of life. The word mat-sańgāt can also be read as sat-sańgāt, with the same meaning. In the reading mat-
sańgāt ("from association with Me"), mat is also understood to indicate "those who are Mine," or the
devotees. Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī mentions that a pure devotee can advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by his
own association, since simply by associating with his own activities and consciousness, he associates with
the Lord.

SB 11.12.8
kevalena hi bhāvena gopyo gāvo nagā mṛgāḥ
ye 'nye mūḍha-dhiyo nāgāḥ siddhā mām īyur añjasā
 SYNONYMS
kevalena — by unalloyed; hi — indeed; bhāvena — by love; gopyaḥ — the gopīs; gāvaḥ — the Vṛndāvana
cows; nagāḥ — the unmoving creatures of Vṛndāvana such as the twin arjuna trees; mṛgāḥ — other
animals; ye — those; anye — others; mūḍha-dhiyaḥ — with stunted intelligence; nāgāḥ — Vṛndāvana
snakes such as Kāliya; siddhāḥ — achieving the perfection of life; mām — to Me; īyuḥ — they went; añjasā
— quite easily.

TRANSLATION
The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, including the gopīs, cows, unmoving creatures such as the twin arjuna
trees, animals, living entities with stunted consciousness such as bushes and thickets, and snakes such as
Kāliya, all achieved the perfection of life by unalloyed love for Me and thus very easily achieved Me.

PURPORT
Although innumerable living entities achieved liberation by association with the Lord and His devotees,
many such personalities also executed other processes such as austerity, charity, philosophical speculation,
and so on. As we have already explained, such procedures are secondary. But the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana
such as the gopīs did not know anything except Lord Kṛṣṇa, and their whole purpose in life was simply to
love Lord Kṛṣṇa, as indicated here by the words kevalena hi bhāvena. Even the trees, bushes and hills such
as Govardhana loved Lord Kṛṣṇa. As the Lord explains to His brother, Śrī Baladeva, in the Tenth Canto of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.15.5):
aho amī deva-varāmarārcitaḿ pādāmbujaḿ te sumanaḥ-phalārhaṇam
namanty upādāya śikhābhir ātmanas tamo-'pahatyai taru-janma yat-kṛtam
"My dear brother Baladeva, just see how these trees are bowing down with their branches and offering
obeisances to Your lotus feet, which are worshipable even by the demigods. Indeed, My dear brother, You
are the Supreme God, and thus these trees have produced fruits and flowers as an offering to You.
Although a living entity takes birth as a tree due to the mode of ignorance, certainly by such a birth in
Vṛndāvana these trees are destroying all darkness in their lives by serving Your lotus feet."
Although many living entities achieved the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa by associating with the Lord and His
devotees in various ways, those who take Lord Kṛṣṇa as everything are situated in the highest process of
spiritual realization. Therefore the Lord has not bothered to mention in this verse those who achieved
perfection through mixed processes, but rather glorifies the unalloyed devotees of Vṛndāvana, headed by
the gopīs, who knew nothing but Lord Kṛṣṇa. The residents of Vṛndāvana were so satisfied in their
relationships with Lord Kṛṣṇa that they did not pollute their loving service with mental speculation or
fruitive desires. The gopīs served Lord Kṛṣṇa in the conjugal rasa, or relationship, whereas according to Śrīla
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura the cows loved Lord Kṛṣṇa in vātsalya-rasa, or the love of parents for a child,
because the cows were always supplying milk to child Kṛṣṇa. Unmoving objects like Govardhana Hill and
other hills and mountains loved Lord Kṛṣṇa as a friend, and the ordinary animals, trees and bushes of
Vṛndāvana loved Lord Kṛṣṇa in dāsya-rasa, or with love of a servant for his master. Snakes like Kāliya also
developed this love in servitude, and after relishing their loving service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, all of them went back
home, back to Godhead. According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, all those inhabitants of
Vṛndāvana should be considered eternally liberated souls, as expressed by the word siddhāḥ, which means
"having achieved the perfection of life."

SB 11.12.9
yaḿ na yogena sāńkhyena dāna-vrata-tapo-'dhvaraiḥ
vyākhyā-svādhyāya-sannyāsaiḥ prāpnuyād yatnavān api

SYNONYMS
yam — whom; na — not; yogena — by the mystic yoga systems; sāńkhyena — by philosophical speculation;
dāna — by charity; vrata — vows; tapaḥ — austerities; adhvaraiḥ — or Vedic ritualistic sacrifices; vyākhyā
— by explaining Vedic knowledge to others; svādhyāya — personal study of the Veda; sannyāsaiḥ — or by
taking the renounced order of life; prāpnuyāt — can one obtain; yatna-vān — with great endeavor; api —
even.

TRANSLATION
 Even though one engages with great endeavor in the mystic yoga system, philosophical speculation,
charity, vows, penances, ritualistic sacrifices, teaching of Vedic mantras to others, personal study of the
Vedas, or the renounced order of life, still one cannot achieve Me.

PURPORT
Lord Kṛṣṇa here explains that it is very difficult to achieve His personal association, even for one who
seriously endeavors to reach the Absolute Truth. The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, such as the gopīs and cows,
were always living with Lord Kṛṣṇa, and thus their association is called sat-sańga. Anyone who is favorably
living with the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes sat, or eternal, and thus the association of such a
person can immediately award others pure devotional service to the Lord. There is an austerity called
cāndrāyaṇa, a fast in which one's intake of food is diminished by one mouthful each day as the moon wanes
and increased in the same way as the moon waxes. Similarly, there are painstaking ritualistic sacrifices and
grueling studies of the Sanskrit Vedic mantras, which one may also teach to others. All these tedious
activities cannot award the highest perfection of life unless one gets the causeless mercy of the pure
devotees of the Lord. As stated in the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.8):
dharmaḥ sv-anuṣṭhitaḥ puḿsāḿ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
notpādayed yadi ratiḿ śrama eva hi kevalam
"The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if
they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead."

SB 11.12.10
rāmeṇa sārdhaḿ mathurāḿ praṇīte
śvāphalkinā mayy anurakta-cittāḥ
vigāḍha-bhāvena na me viyoga-
tīvrādhayo 'nyaḿ dadṛśuḥ sukhāya

SYNONYMS
rāmeṇa — with Balarāma; sārdham — with; mathurām — to the city of Mathurā; praṇīte — when brought;
śvāphalkinā — by Akrūra; mayi — Myself; anurakta — constantly attached; cittāḥ — those whose
consciousness was; vigāḍha — extremely deep; bhāvena — by love; na — not; me — than Me; viyoga — of
separation; tīvra — intense; ādhayaḥ — who were experiencing mental distress, anxiety; anyam — other;
dadṛśuḥ — they saw; sukhāya — that could make them happy.

TRANSLATION
The residents of Vṛndāvana, headed by the gopīs, were always completely attached to Me with deepest
love. Therefore, when My uncle Akrūra brought My brother Balarāma and Me to the city of Mathurā, the
residents of Vṛndāvana suffered extreme mental distress because of separation from Me and could not
find any other source of happiness.

PURPORT
This verse especially describes the sentiments of the cowherd girls of Vṛndāvana, the gopīs, and Lord Kṛṣṇa
here reveals the incomparable love they felt for Him. As explained in the Tenth Canto, Lord Kṛṣṇa's uncle
Akrūra, sent by Kaḿsa, came to Vṛndāvana and took Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma back to Mathurā for a wrestling
event. The gopīs loved Lord Kṛṣṇa so much that in His absence their consciousness was completely
absorbed in spiritual love. Thus their Kṛṣṇa consciousness is considered the highest perfectional stage of
life. They were always expecting that Lord Kṛṣṇa would finish His business of killing demons and return to
them, and therefore their anxiety was an extremely moving, heartrending display of love. Anyone desiring
true happiness must take to the devotional service of the Lord in the spirit of the gopīs, giving up everything
for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord.

SB 11.12.11
tās tāḥ kṣapāḥ preṣṭhatamena nītā
mayaiva vṛndāvana-gocareṇa
kṣaṇārdha-vat tāḥ punar ańga tāsāḿ
hīnā mayā kalpa-samā babhūvuḥ
 SYNONYMS
tāḥ tāḥ — all those; kṣapāḥ — nights; preṣṭha-tamena — with the most dearly beloved; nītāḥ — spent;
mayā — with Me; eva — indeed; vṛndāvana — in Vṛndāvana; go-careṇa — who can be known; kṣaṇa — a
moment; ardha-vat — like half; tāḥ — those very nights; punaḥ — again; ańga — dear Uddhava; tāsām —
for the gopīs; hīnāḥ — bereft; mayā — of Me; kalpa — a day of Brahmā (4,320,000,000 years); samāḥ —
equal to; babhūvuḥ — became.

TRANSLATION
Dear Uddhava, all of those nights that the gopīs spent with Me, their most dearly beloved, in the land of
Vṛndāvana seemed to them to pass in less than a moment. Bereft of My association, however, the gopīs
felt that those same nights dragged on forever, as if each night were equal to a day of Brahmā.

PURPORT
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī comments as follows. "The gopīs suffered extreme anxiety in the absence of Lord
Kṛṣṇa, and though outwardly appearing bewildered, they actually achieved the highest perfectional stage of
samādhi. Their consciousness was intensely and intimately attached to Lord Kṛṣṇa, and by such Kṛṣṇa
consciousness their own bodies seemed very far away from them, even though people normally consider
their body to be their closest possession. In fact, the gopīs did not think about their own existence.
Although a young woman normally considers her husband and children to be her dearmost possessions,
the gopīs did not even consider the existence of their so-called families. Nor could they think of this world
or life after death. Indeed, they were not at all aware of these things. Just like great sages who become
detached from the names and forms of the material world, the gopīs could not think of anything, because
they were rapt in loving remembrance of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Just as rivers enter the ocean, similarly, the gopīs
completely merged into consciousness of Lord Kṛṣṇa through intense love."
Thus a day of Brahmā seemed like a single moment for the gopīs when Lord Kṛṣṇa was present with them,
and a single moment seemed like a day of Brahmā when Lord Kṛṣṇa was absent. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness of
the gopīs is the perfection of spiritual life, and the symptoms of such perfection are described here.

SB 11.12.12
tā nāvidan mayy anuṣańga-baddha-
dhiyaḥ svam ātmānam adas tathedam
yathā samādhau munayo 'bdhi-toye
nadyaḥ praviṣṭā iva nāma-rūpe

SYNONYMS
tāḥ — they (the gopīs); na — not; avidan — were aware of; mayi — in Me; anuṣańga — by intimate contact;
baddha — bound up; dhiyaḥ — their consciousness; svam — their own; ātmānam — body or self; adaḥ —
something remote; tathā — thus considering; idam — this which is most near; yathā — just as; samādhau
— in yoga-samādhi; munayaḥ — great sages; abdhi — of the ocean; toye — in the water; nadyaḥ — rivers;
praviṣṭāḥ — having entered; iva — like; nāma — names; rūpe — and forms.

TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, just as great sages in yoga trance merge into self-realization, like rivers merging into
the ocean, and are thus not aware of material names and forms, similarly, the gopīs of Vṛndāvana were
so completely attached to Me within their minds that they could not think of their own bodies, or of this
world, or of their future lives. Their entire consciousness was simply bound up in Me.

PURPORT
The words svam ātmānam adas tathedam indicate that while for ordinary persons one's personal body is
the most near and dear thing, the gopīs considered their own bodies to be distant and remote, just as a
yogī in samādhi trance considers ordinary things around his physical body or his physical body itself to be
most remote. When Kṛṣṇa played on His flute late at night, the gopīs immediately forgot everything about
their so-called husbands and children and went to dance with Lord Kṛṣṇa in the forest. These controversial
points have been clearly explained in the book Kṛṣṇa, by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupāda. The basic explanation is that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the source of everything, and the gopīs are the
 Lord's own potency. Thus there is no discrepancy or immorality in the almighty Personality of Godhead's
loving affairs with His own manifest potency, the gopīs, who happen to be the most beautiful young girls in
the creation of God.
There is no illusion on the part of the gopīs, for they are so attracted to Lord Kṛṣṇa that they do not care to
think of anything else. Since all existence is situated within the body of Lord Kṛṣṇa, there is no loss for the
gopīs when they concentrate on the Lord. It is the nature of very deep love to exclude all objects except the
beloved. However, in the material world, where we try to love a limited temporary object such as our
nation, family or personal body, our exclusion of other objects constitutes ignorance. But when our love is
intensely concentrated on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the origin of everything, such
concentration cannot be considered ignorance or small-mindedness.
The example of the sages in samādhi is given here only to illustrate exclusive concentration on a single
object. Otherwise, there is no comparison between the ecstatic love of the gopīs and the dry meditation of
the yogīs, who merely try to understand that they are not their material bodies. Since the gopīs had no
material bodies to become detached from and were personally dancing with and embracing the Absolute
Truth, one can never compare the exalted position of the gopīs to that of mere yogīs. It is stated that the
bliss of impersonal Brahman realization cannot be compared to even an atomic fragment of the blissful
ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. Intimate attachment is like a strong rope that binds the mind and heart. In material
life we are bound to that which is temporary and illusory, and therefore such binding of the heart causes
great pain. However, if we bind our minds and hearts to the eternal Lord Kṛṣṇa, the reservoir of all pleasure
and beauty, then our hearts will expand unlimitedly in the ocean of transcendental bliss.
One should understand that the gopīs were not in any way inclined toward impersonal meditation, in which
one denies the reality of variegated creation. The gopīs did not deny anything; they simply loved Kṛṣṇa and
could not think of anything else. They only rejected whatever impeded their concentration on Lord Kṛṣṇa,
cursing even their own eyelids, which blinked and thus removed Kṛṣṇa from their sight for a split second.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has stated that all sincere devotees of the Lord should have the courage to remove
from their lives anything that impedes their progressive march back home, back to Godhead.

SB 11.12.13
mat-kāmā ramaṇaḿ jāram asvarūpa-vido 'balāḥ
brahma māḿ paramaḿ prāpuḥ sańgāc chata-sahasraśaḥ

SYNONYMS
mat — Me; kāmāḥ — those who desired; ramaṇam — a charming lover; jāram — the lover of another's
wife; asvarūpa-vidaḥ — not knowing My actual situation; abalāḥ — women; brahma — the Absolute; mām
— Me; paramam — supreme; prāpuḥ — they achieved; sańgāt — by association; śata-sahasraśaḥ — by
hundreds of thousands.

TRANSLATION
All those hundreds of thousands of gopīs, understanding Me to be their most charming lover and
ardently desiring Me in that way, were unaware of My actual position. Yet by intimately associating with
Me, the gopīs attained Me, the Supreme Absolute Truth.

PURPORT
The words asvarūpa-vidaḥ ("not understanding My actual position or form") indicate that the lovely gopīs
were so completely absorbed in conjugal love for Lord Kṛṣṇa that they were not aware of the Lord's
unlimited potencies as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains
this and other meanings of the word asvarūpa-vidaḥ. In Sanskrit the word vid also means "to acquire."
Thus, asvarūpa-vidaḥ indicates that the gopīs, like other pure devotees of the Lord, were not interested in
achieving sārūpya-mukti, the liberation of acquiring a bodily form similar to the Lord's. Were the gopīs to
obtain a bodily form like the Lord's, how could the Lord execute His conjugal pastimes of dancing with the
gopīs and embracing them? Since the gopīs had realized their eternal spiritual forms as servitors of the
Lord, the word svarūpa also may indicate their own spiritual bodies, and thus asvarūpa-vidaḥ means that
the gopīs never thought, as materialists do, of their own bodily beauty. Although the gopīs are the most
beautiful girls in the Lord's creation, they never thought of their own bodies but rather were always
meditating on the transcendental body of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Although we cannot imitate the gopī's exalted
conjugal feelings, we can follow their superb example of practical Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They naturally took
shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa and achieved the highest perfection of life.

SB 11.12.14-15
tasmāt tvam uddhavotsṛjya codanāḿ praticodanām
pravṛttiḿ ca nivṛttiḿ ca śrotavyaḿ śrutam eva ca
mām ekam eva śaraṇam ātmānaḿ sarva-dehinām
yāhi sarvātma-bhāvena mayā syā hy akuto-bhayaḥ

SYNONYMS
tasmāt — therefore; tvam — you; uddhava — O Uddhava; utsṛjya — giving up; codanām — the regulations
of the Vedas; praticodanām — the injunctions of supplementary Vedic literatures; pravṛttim — injunctions;
ca — and; nivṛttim — prohibitions; ca — also; śrotavyam — that which is to be heard; śrutam — that which
has been heard; eva — indeed; ca — also; mām — to Me; ekam — alone; eva — actually; śaraṇam —
shelter; ātmānam — the Supersoul within the heart; sarva-dehinām — of all conditioned souls; yāhi — you
must go; sarva-ātma-bhāvena — with exclusive devotion; mayā — by My mercy; syāḥ — you should be; hi
— certainly; akutaḥ-bhayaḥ — free from fear in all circumstances.

TRANSLATION
Therefore, My dear Uddhava, abandon the Vedic mantras as well as the procedures of supplementary
Vedic literatures and their positive and negative injunctions. Disregard that which has been heard and
that which is to be heard. Simply take shelter of Me alone, for I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
situated within the heart of all conditioned souls. Take shelter of Me wholeheartedly, and by My grace
be free from fear in all circumstances.

PURPORT
Śrī Uddhava inquired from Lord Kṛṣṇa about the symptoms of saintly persons and liberated souls, and the
Lord has replied in terms of different levels of spiritual advancement, distinguishing between those who are
able to understand Lord Kṛṣṇa to be the principal goal of life and those loving devotees who accept Lord
Kṛṣṇa and devotional service to Him as the only goal of life. Lord Kṛṣṇa also mentioned that He is captured
by His loving devotees and even by those who sincerely associate with His loving devotees. Among all the
devotees, the gopīs of Vṛndāvana were described by the Lord as having achieved such a rare state of pure
devotional service that Lord Kṛṣṇa personally feels constantly indebted to them. According to Śrīla
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Lord Kṛṣṇa previously kept the gopīs' love for Him concealed in His heart
because of its confidential nature and the Lord's own gravity. Finally, however, even Lord Kṛṣṇa could not
remain silent about the intense love of the gopīs, and thus in these verses the Lord reveals to Uddhava how
the gopīs loved Him in Vṛndāvana and brought Him fully under their control. The Lord would relax in secret
places with the loving gopīs, and by conjugal spontaneous affection the greatest love was exchanged
between them.
As explained by the Lord in Bhagavad-gītā, one cannot achieve the perfection of life merely by renouncing
the material world or by executing ordinary, sectarian religious principles. One must actually understand
the identity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and by associating with His pure devotees one must
learn to love the Lord in His personal, original form. This love may be expressed in either the conjugal,
paternal, fraternal or serving rasa, or relationship. The Lord has elaborately explained to Uddhava the
system of philosophical analysis of the material world, and now He clearly concludes that it is useless for
Uddhava to waste time in fruitive activities or mental speculation. Actually, Lord Kṛṣṇa is hinting that
Uddhava should assimilate the example of the gopīs and try to advance further in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by
following in the footsteps of the cowherd damsels of Vraja. Any conditioned soul who is unsatisfied with
the cruel laws of nature, which impose disease, old age and death, should understand that Lord Kṛṣṇa can
deliver all living beings from the problems of material existence. There is no need to entangle oneself in
unauthorized, sectarian rituals, injunctions or prohibitions. One should simply surrender to Lord Kṛṣṇa,
following the example of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. By the authorized regulated
process of bhakti-yoga, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one easily achieves spiritual perfection.

SB 11.12.16
śrī-uddhava uvāca
 saḿśayaḥ śṛṇvato vācaḿ tava yogeśvareśvara
na nivartata ātma-stho yena bhrāmyati me manaḥ

SYNONYMS
śrī-uddhavaḥ uvāca — Śrī Uddhava said; saḿśayaḥ — doubt; śṛṇvataḥ — of the one who is hearing; vācam
— the words; tava — Your; yoga-īśvara — of the lords of mystic power; īśvara — You who are the Lord; na
nivartate — will not go away; ātma — in the heart; sthaḥ — situated; yena — by which; bhrāmyati — is
bewildered; me — my; manaḥ — mind.

TRANSLATION
Śrī Uddhava said: O Lord of all masters of mystic power, I have heard Your words, but the doubt in my
heart does not go away; thus my mind is bewildered.

PURPORT
In the first verse of the Tenth Chapter of this canto, the Lord stated that one should take shelter of Him and
execute one's duties within the varṇāśrama system without material desire. Uddhava interpreted this
statement as recommending karma-miśrā bhakti, or devotional service mixed with a tendency toward
fruitive activities. It is a fact that until one understands Lord Kṛṣṇa to be everything, it is not possible to
retire from ordinary, worldly duties. Rather, one is encouraged to offer the fruits of such work to the Lord.
In verse 4 of the Tenth Chapter, the Lord recommended that one retire from worldly duties and
systematically cultivate knowledge, accepting Him as the Supreme. Uddhava understood this instruction to
indicate jñāna-miśrā bhakti, or devotional service to the Lord mixed with the secondary desire to
accumulate knowledge. Beginning with verse 35 of the Tenth Chapter, Uddhava inquired about the process
of material conditioning and liberation from material life. The Lord replied elaborately, stating that without
devotional service the process of philosophical speculation can never be perfected. In Chapter Eleven, verse
18, the Lord emphasized the importance of faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and in verse 23
Kṛṣṇa extensively widened His discussion of devotional service, emphasizing that one should be faithful and
hear and chant the glories of the Lord. The Lord concluded that both the development and perfection of
devotional service depend on association with the devotees. In verse 26 of the Eleventh Chapter, Uddhava
inquired about the actual ways and means of devotional service and about the symptoms of devotional
perfection. And in verse 48 Lord Kṛṣṇa stated that unless one takes to the process of devotional service,
one's attempt for liberation will be useless. One must associate with the devotees of the Lord and follow in
their footsteps. Finally, in verse 14 of this chapter the Lord categorically rejected the paths of fruitive
activities and mental speculation and in verse 15 recommended that one exclusively surrender unto Him
with all one's heart.
Having received such elaborate and technical instructions on the perfection of life, Uddhava is bewildered,
and his mind is afflicted with doubt about what he should actually do. Lord Kṛṣṇa has described many
procedures and the results of such procedures, all of which ultimately lead to the single goal of Lord Kṛṣṇa
Himself. Uddhava therefore desires that Lord Kṛṣṇa state in simple terms what should be done. Arjuna
makes a similar request of the Lord at the beginning of the Third Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. According to
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Uddhava is stating here, "My dear friend Kṛṣṇa, first You recommended
that I perform worldly activities within the varṇāśrama system, and then You advised that I reject such
activities and take to the path of philosophical research. Now rejecting the path of jñāna, You recommend
that I simply surrender unto You in bhakti-yoga. If I accept Your decision, in the future You may again go
back to Your original point and recommend worldly activities." By his boldness in disclosing his mind,
Uddhava reveals his intimate friendship with Lord Kṛṣṇa.

SB 11.12.17
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
sa eṣa jīvo vivara-prasūtiḥ prāṇena ghoṣeṇa guhāḿ praviṣṭaḥ
mano-mayaḿ sūkṣmam upetya rūpaḿ mātrā svaro varṇa iti sthaviṣṭhaḥ

SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; saḥ eṣaḥ — He Himself; jīvaḥ — the
Supreme Lord, who gives life to all; vivara — within the heart; prasūtiḥ — manifest; prāṇena — along with
the life air; ghoṣeṇa — with the subtle manifestation of sound; guhām — the heart; praviṣṭaḥ — who has
entered; manaḥ-mayam — perceived by the mind, or controlling the mind even of great demigods like Lord
Śiva; sūkṣmam — subtle; upetya — being situated in; rūpam — the form; mātrā — the different vocalic
lengths; svaraḥ — the different intonations; varṇaḥ — the different sounds of the alphabet; iti — thus;
sthaviṣṭhaḥ — the gross form.

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, the Supreme Lord gives life to every living
being and is situated within the heart along with the life air and primal sound vibration. The Lord can be
perceived in His subtle form within the heart by one's mind, since the Lord controls the minds of
everyone, even great demigods like Lord Śiva. The Supreme Lord also assumes a gross form as the
various sounds of the Vedas, composed of short and long vowels and consonants of different intonations.

PURPORT
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura comments as follows on the dialogue between Lord Kṛṣṇa and
Uddhava. Uddhava was bewildered and doubtful because Lord Kṛṣṇa explained many different processes
such as devotional service, speculative knowledge, renunciation, mystic yoga, austerities, pious duties, and
so on. However, all of these processes are meant to help the living entities obtain the shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa,
and ultimately no Vedic process should be understood in any other way. Thus Lord Kṛṣṇa explained the
entire Vedic system, placing everything in proper order. In fact, Lord Kṛṣṇa was surprised that Uddhava
foolishly thought that he was meant to practice every process, as if each method were meant simply for
him. Lord Kṛṣṇa therefore wants to inform His devotee, "My dear Uddhava, when I told you that analytic
knowledge is to be practiced, pious duties are to be performed, devotional service is obligatory, yoga
procedures must be observed, austerities are to be executed, etc., I was instructing all living entities, using
you as My immediate audience. That which I have spoken, am speaking now and will speak in the future
should be understood as guidance for all living entities in different situations. How could you possibly think
that you were meant to practice all of the different Vedic processes? I accept you as you are now, My pure
devotee. You are not supposed to execute all of these processes." Thus according to Śrīla Viśvanātha
Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the Lord, with lighthearted and encouraging words, reveals to Uddhava the deep
purpose behind the variety of Vedic procedures.
Lord Kṛṣṇa became manifest from the mouth of Lord Brahmā in the form of the Vedas. The word vivara-
prasūti in this verse also indicates that the Lord is manifest within the ādhārādi-cakras situated within the
body of Lord Brahmā. The word ghoṣeṇa means "subtle sound," and guhāḿ praviṣṭaḥ also indicates that
Lord Kṛṣṇa enters within the ādhāra-cakra. The Lord can further be perceived within other cakras such as
the maṇipūraka-cakra, located around the navel, and the viśuddhi-cakra. The Sanskrit alphabet is composed
of short and long vowels, and consonants pronounced with high and low tones, and utilizing these
vibrations the different branches of Vedic literatures are manifested as a gross form of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. According to Bhagavad-gītā, such literatures deal mostly with the three modes of
material nature: traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna. Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that due to
the control of the illusory energy, māyā, the Personality of Godhead appears to the conditioned souls as
part of the material universe. The imagined imposition of gross and subtle material qualities on the
Personality of Godhead is called avidyā, or ignorance, and through such ignorance the living entity
considers himself to be the doer of his own activities and becomes bound up in the network of karma. The
Vedas therefore order an entangled soul to observe positive and negative injunctions to purify his
existence. These procedures are called pravṛtti-mārga, or the path of regulated fruitive activities. When one
has purified one's existence, one gives up this gross stage of fruitive activities because it is detrimental to
the practice of pure devotional service. By firm faith one may then worship the Personality of Godhead.
One who has developed perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness no longer has to perform ritualistic duties. As stated in
Bhagavad-gītā, tasya kāryaḿ na vidyate.
According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, this verse may be understood in another way. The word jīva indicates Lord
Kṛṣṇa, who gives life to the residents of Vṛndāvana, and vivara-prasūti indicates that although Lord Kṛṣṇa
eternally performs His pastimes in the spiritual world, beyond the vision of the conditioned souls, He also
enters within the material universe to display these same pastimes. The words guhāḿ praviṣṭaḥ indicates
that after displaying such pastimes, the Lord withdraws them and enters into His unmanifest pastimes, or
those pastimes not manifest to the conditioned souls. In this case, mātrā indicates the transcendental
senses of the Lord, svara indicates the Lord's transcendental sound vibration and singing, and the word
varṇa indicates the transcendental form of the Lord. The word sthaviṣṭha, or "gross manifestation," means
that the Lord becomes manifest in the material world even to those devotees who are not completely
 advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and whose vision is not completely purified. Mano-maya indicates that
somehow or other Lord Kṛṣṇa is to be kept within one's mind; and for the nondevotees Lord Kṛṣṇa is
sūkṣma, or most subtle, because He cannot be known. Thus different ācāryas have glorified Lord Kṛṣṇa in
different ways through the transcendental sound vibration of this verse.

SB 11.12.18
yathānalaḥ khe 'nila-bandhur uṣmā
balena dāruṇy adhimathyamānaḥ
aṇuḥ prajāto haviṣā samedhate
tathaiva me vyaktir iyaḿ hi vāṇī

SYNONYMS
yathā — just as; analaḥ — fire; khe — in the space within wood; anila — air; bandhuḥ — whose help; uṣmā
— heat; balena — strongly; dāruṇi — within the wood; adhimathyamānaḥ — being kindled by friction;
aṇuḥ — very tiny; prajātaḥ — is born; haviṣā — with ghee (clarified butter); samedhate — it increases;
tathā — similarly; eva — indeed; me — My; vyaktiḥ — manifestation; iyam — this; hi — certainly; vāṇī —
the Vedic sounds.

TRANSLATION
When sticks of kindling wood are vigorously rubbed together, heat is produced by contact with air, and a
spark of fire appears. Once the fire is kindled, ghee is added and the fire blazes. Similarly, I become
manifest in the sound vibration of the Vedas.

PURPORT
Lord Kṛṣṇa here explains the most confidential meaning of Vedic knowledge. The Vedas first regulate
ordinary material work and channel the fruits into ritualistic sacrifices, which ostensibly reward the
performer with future benefits. The real purpose of these sacrifices, however, is to accustom a materialistic
worker to offering the fruits of his work to a superior Vedic authority. An expert fruitive worker gradually
exhausts the possibilities of material enjoyment and naturally gravitates toward the superior stage of
philosophical speculation on his existential situation. By increased knowledge, one becomes aware of the
unlimited glories of the Supreme and gradually takes to the process of loving devotional service to the
transcendental Absolute Truth. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the goal of Vedic knowledge, as the Lord states in Bhagavad-
gītā: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg. 15.15]. The Lord gradually becomes manifest in the
progression of Vedic rituals, just as fire is gradually manifest by the rubbing of firewood. The words haviṣā
samedhate ("the fire increases by addition of ghee") indicate that by the progressive advancement of Vedic
sacrifice, the fire of spiritual knowledge gradually blazes, illuminating everything and destroying the chain
of fruitive work.
Lord Kṛṣṇa considered Uddhava to be the most qualified person to hear this elaborate transcendental
knowledge; therefore the Lord mercifully instructs Uddhava so that he may enlighten the sages at
Badarikāśrama, thus fulfilling the purpose of the sages' lives.

SB 11.12.19
evaḿ gadiḥ karma gatir visargo
ghrāṇo raso dṛk sparśaḥ śrutiś ca
sańkalpa-vijñānam athābhimānaḥ
sūtraḿ rajaḥ-sattva-tamo-vikāraḥ

SYNONYMS
evam — thus; gadiḥ — speech; karma — the function of the hands; gatiḥ — the function of the legs;
visargaḥ — the functions of the genital and anus; ghrāṇaḥ — smell; rasaḥ — taste; dṛk — sight; sparśaḥ —
touch; śrutiḥ — hearing; ca — also; sańkalpa — the mind's function; vijñānam — the function of
intelligence and consciousness; atha — moreover; abhimānaḥ — the function of false ego; sūtram — the
function of pradhāna, or the subtle cause of material nature; rajaḥ — of the mode of passion; sattva —
goodness; tamaḥ — and of ignorance; vikāraḥ — the transformation.

TRANSLATION
The functions of the working senses — the organ of speech, the hands, the legs, the genital and the anus
— and the functions of the knowledge-acquiring senses — the nose, tongue, eyes, skin and ears — along
with the functions of the subtle senses of mind, intelligence, consciousness and false ego, as well as the
function of the subtle pradhāna and the interaction of the three modes of material nature — all these
should be understood as My materially manifest form.

PURPORT
By the word gadi, or "speech," the Lord concludes His discussion about His manifestation as Vedic
vibrations and describes the functions of the other working senses, along with the knowledge-acquiring
senses, the subtle functions of consciousness, pradhāna and the interaction of the three modes of material
nature. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person sees the entire material world as a manifestation of the Lord's potencies.
There is therefore no legitimate scope for material sense gratification, because everything is an expansion
from the Supreme Personality of Godhead and belongs to Him. One who can understand the expansion of
the Lord within subtle and gross material manifestations gives up his desire to live in this world. In the
spiritual world everything is eternal, full of bliss and knowledge. The exclusive feature of the material world
is that here the living entity dreams that he is lord. A sane person, giving up this hallucination, finds no
attractive features in the kingdom of māyā and therefore returns home, back to Godhead.

SB 11.12.20
ayaḿ hi jīvas tri-vṛd abja-yonir
avyakta eko vayasā sa ādyaḥ
viśliṣṭa-śaktir bahudheva bhāti
bījāni yoniḿ pratipadya yadvat

SYNONYMS
ayam — this; hi — certainly; jīvaḥ — the supreme living entity who gives life to others; tri-vṛt — containing
the three modes of material nature; abja — of the universal lotus flower; yoniḥ — the source; avyaktaḥ —
unmanifest (materially); ekaḥ — alone; vayasā — in course of time; saḥ — He; ādyaḥ — eternal; viśliṣṭa —
divided; śaktiḥ — potencies; bahudhā — in many divisions; iva — like; bhāti — He appears; bījāni — seeds;
yonim — in an agricultural field; pratipadya — falling; yat-vat — just like.

TRANSLATION
When many seeds are placed in an agricultural field, innumerable manifestations of trees, bushes,
vegetables and so on will arise from a single source, the soil. Similarly, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, who gives life to all and is eternal, originally exists beyond the scope of the cosmic
manifestation. In the course of time, however, the Lord, who is the resting place of the three modes of
nature and the source of the universal lotus flower, in which the cosmic manifestation takes place,
divides His material potencies and thus appears to be manifest in innumerable forms, although He is one.

PURPORT
Śrīla Vīrarāghavācārya comments that one may question as to whom the cosmic manifestation, consisting
of demigods, men, animals, plants, planets, space, etc., actually belongs. Lord Kṛṣṇa now eradicates any
doubt about the source of the cosmic manifestation. The word tri-vṛt indicates that the three modes of
nature are not independent but are under superior control. The suffix vṛt means the vartanam, or
"existence," of the three modes of material nature within the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Analyzing
the term abja-yoni, ap indicates "water," and ja indicates "birth." Thus abja means the complex material
universe, which sprouts from Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who lies in the Garbhodaka Ocean. Yoni, or "source,"
indicates the Personality of Godhead, and thus abja-yoni means that the Lord is the source of all cosmic
manifestations; indeed, all creation takes place within the Lord. Since the three modes of material nature
are under the superior control of the Lord, material objects helplessly undergo creation and annihilation
within the universal shell by the will of the Lord. The term avyakta indicates the Lord's subtle spiritual form,
which exists alone before the material creation. The Lord's original form, being spiritual, does not undergo
birth, transformation or death. It is eternal. In the course of time, the Lord's material potencies are divided
and manifest as bodies, bodily paraphernalia, sense objects, bodily expansions, false ego and false
proprietorship. Thus the Lord expands His conscious living potency called jīva-śakti, which is manifest in
innumerable material forms such as those of men, demigods, animals, and so on. From the example of the
seeds sown in an agricultural field, we can understand that innumerable manifestations may arise from a
single source. Similarly, although the Lord is one, He becomes manifest in innumerable forms through the
expansion of His different potencies

SB 11.12.21
yasminn idaḿ protam aśeṣam otaḿ
paṭo yathā tantu-vitāna-saḿsthaḥ
ya eṣa saḿsāra-taruḥ purāṇaḥ
karmātmakaḥ puṣpa-phale prasūte

SYNONYMS
yasmin — in whom; idam — this universe; protam — woven crosswise; aśeṣam — the whole; otam — and
lengthwise; paṭaḥ — a cloth; yathā — just like; tantu — of the threads; vitāna — in the expansion;
saḿsthaḥ — situated; yaḥ — that which; eṣaḥ — this; saḿsāra — of material existence; taruḥ — the tree;
purāṇaḥ — existing since time immemorial; karma — toward fruitive activities; ātmakaḥ — naturally
inclined; puṣpa — the first result, blossoming; phale — and the fruit; prasūte — being produced.

TRANSLATION
Just as woven cloth rests on the expansion of lengthwise and crosswise threads, similarly the entire
universe is expanded on the lengthwise and crosswise potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
and is situated within Him. The conditioned soul has been accepting material bodies since time
immemorial, and these bodies are like great trees sustaining one's material existence. Just as a tree first
blossoms and then produces fruit, similarly the tree of material existence, one's material body, produces
the various results of material existence.

PURPORT
Before a tree produces fruit, blossoms appear. Similarly, the word puṣpa-phale, according to Śrīla
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, indicates the happiness and distress of material existence. One's material
life may appear to be blossoming, but ultimately there will appear the bitter fruits of old age, death and
other catastrophes. Attachment to the material body, which is always inclined toward sense gratification, is
the root cause of material existence, and it is therefore called saḿsāra-taru. The tendency to exploit the
external energy of the Supreme Lord has existed since time immemorial, as expressed by the words
purāṇaḥ karmātmakaḥ. The material universe is an expansion of the illusory potency of the Supreme Lord
and is always dependent on Him and nondifferent from Him. This simple understanding can relieve the
conditioned souls from endless wandering in the unhappy kingdom of māyā.
The word puṣpa-phale may also be understood as meaning sense gratification and liberation. The tree of
material existence will be further explained in the following verses.

SB 11.12.22-23
dve asya bīje śata-mūlas tri-nālaḥ
pañca-skandhaḥ pañca-rasa-prasūtiḥ
daśaika-śākho dvi-suparṇa-nīḍas
tri-valkalo dvi-phalo 'rkaḿ praviṣṭaḥ
adanti caikaḿ phalam asya gṛdhrā
grāme-carā ekam araṇya-vāsāḥ
haḿsā ya ekaḿ bahu-rūpam ijyair
māyā-mayaḿ veda sa veda vedam

SYNONYMS
dve — two; asya — of this tree; bīje — seeds; śata — hundreds; mūlaḥ — of roots; tri — three; nālaḥ —
lower trunks; pañca — five; skandhaḥ — upper trunks; pañca — five; rasa — saps; prasūtiḥ — producing;
daśa — ten; eka — plus one; śākhaḥ — branches; dvi — two; suparṇa — of birds; nīḍaḥ — a nest; tri —
three; valkalaḥ — types of bark; dvi — two; phalaḥ — fruits; arkam — the sun; praviṣṭaḥ — extending into;
adanti — they eat or enjoy; ca — also; ekam — one; phalam — fruit; asya — of this tree; gṛdhrāḥ — those
who are lusty for material enjoyment; grāme — in householder life; carāḥ — living; ekam — another;
araṇya — in the forest; vāsāḥ — those who live; haḿsāḥ — swanlike men, saintly persons; yaḥ — one
who; ekam — one only, the Supersoul; bahu-rūpam — appearing in many forms; ijyaiḥ — by the help of
those who are worshipable, the spiritual masters; māyā-mayam — produced by the potency of the
 Supreme Lord; veda — knows; saḥ — such a person; veda — knows; vedam — the actual meaning of the
Vedic literature.

TRANSLATION
This tree of material existence has two seeds, hundreds of roots, three lower trunks and five upper
trunks. It produces five flavors and has eleven branches and a nest made by two birds. The tree is
covered by three types of bark, gives two fruits and extends up to the sun. Those lusty after material
enjoyment and dedicated to family life enjoy one of the tree's fruits, and swanlike men in the renounced
order of life enjoy the other fruit. One who with the help of the bona fide spiritual masters can
understand this tree to be a manifestation of the potency of the one Supreme Truth appearing in many
forms actually knows the meaning of the Vedic literature.

PURPORT
The two seeds of this tree are sinful and pious activities, and the hundreds of roots are the living entities'
innumerable material desires, which chain them to material existence. The three lower trunks represent
the three modes of material nature, and the five upper trunks represent the five gross material elements.
The tree produces five flavors — sound, form, touch, taste and aroma — and has eleven branches — the
five working senses, the five knowledge-acquiring senses and the mind. Two birds, namely the individual
soul and the Supersoul, have made their nest in this tree, and the three types of bark are air, bile and
mucus, the constituent elements of the body. The two fruits of this tree are happiness and distress.
Those who are busy trying to enjoy the company of beautiful women, money and other luxurious aspects of
illusion enjoy the fruit of unhappiness. One should remember that even in the heavenly planets there is
anxiety and death. Those who have renounced material goals and taken to the path of spiritual
enlightenment enjoy the fruit of happiness. One who takes the assistance of bona fide spiritual masters can
understand that this elaborate tree is simply the manifestation of the external potency of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who is ultimately one without a second. If one can see the Supreme Lord as the
ultimate cause of everything, then his knowledge is perfect. Otherwise, if one is entangled in Vedic rituals
or Vedic speculation without knowledge of the Supreme Lord, he has not achieved the perfection of life.

SB 11.12.24
evaḿ gurūpāsanayaika-bhaktyā
vidyā-kuṭhāreṇa śitena dhīraḥ
vivṛścya jīvāśayam apramattaḥ
sampadya cātmānam atha tyajāstram

SYNONYMS
evam — thus (with the knowledge I have given you); guru — of the spiritual master; upāsanayā —
developed by worship; eka — unalloyed; bhaktyā — by loving devotional service; vidyā — of knowledge;
kuṭhāreṇa — by the ax; śitena — sharp; dhīraḥ — one who is steady by knowledge; vivṛścya — cutting
down; jīva — of the living entity; āśayam — the subtle body (filled with designations created by the three
modes of material nature); apramattaḥ — being very careful in spiritual life; sampadya — achieving; ca —
and; ātmānam — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; atha — then; tyaja — you should give up; astram —
the means by which you achieved perfection.

TRANSLATION
With steady intelligence you should develop unalloyed devotional service by careful worship of the
spiritual master, and with the sharpened ax of transcendental knowledge you should cut off the subtle
material covering of the soul. Upon realizing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you should then give
up that ax of analytic knowledge.

PURPORT
Because Uddhava had achieved the perfection of personal association with Lord Kṛṣṇa, there was no need
for him to maintain the mentality of a conditioned soul, and thus, as described here by the words
sampadya cātmānam, Uddhava could personally serve the lotus feet of the Lord in the spiritual world.
Indeed, Uddhava requested this opportunity at the beginning of this great conversation. As stated here,
 gurūpāsanayaika-bhaktyā: one can achieve pure devotional service by worshiping a bona fide spiritual
master. It is not recommended here that one give up pure devotional service or one's spiritual master.
Rather, it is clearly stated by the words vidyā-kuṭhāreṇa that one should cultivate knowledge of the
material world as described by Lord Kṛṣṇa in this chapter. One should fully understand that each and every
aspect of the material creation is the expansion of the illusory potency of the Lord. Such knowledge works
as a sharpened ax to cut down the roots of material existence. In this way, even the stubborn subtle body,
created by the three modes of nature, is cut to pieces, and one becomes apramatta, or sane and cautious in
Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lord Kṛṣṇa has clearly explained in this chapter that the cowherd damsels of Vṛndāvana were not
interested in an analytical approach to life. They simply loved Lord Kṛṣṇa and could not think of anything
else. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught that all His devotees should follow in the footsteps of the cowherd
damsels of Vraja in order to develop the highest intensity of selfless love of Godhead. Lord Kṛṣṇa has
elaborately analyzed the nature of the material world so that the conditioned souls, who are trying to enjoy
it, can cut down the tree of material existence with this knowledge. The words sampadya cātmānam
indicate that a person with such knowledge has no further material existence, because he has already
achieved the Personality of Godhead. Such a person should not loiter in the kingdom of māyā, perpetually
refining his understanding of the illusory creation. One who has accepted Lord Kṛṣṇa as everything may
enjoy eternal bliss in the Lord's service. Yet even though he remains in this world, he has no more business
with it and gives up the analytical procedures for negating it. Lord Kṛṣṇa therefore tells Uddhava,
tyajāstram: "Give up the ax of analytic knowledge by which you have cut down your sense of proprietorship
and residence in the material world."
 Chapter 13: The Haḿsa-avatāra Answers the Questions of the Sons of Brahmā

SB 11.13.1
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
sattvaḿ rajas tama iti guṇā buddher na cātmanaḥ
sattvenānyatamau hanyāt sattvaḿ sattvena caiva hi

SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; sattvam — goodness; rajaḥ — passion;
tamaḥ — ignorance; iti — thus known; guṇāḥ — the modes of material nature; buddheḥ — pertain to
material intelligence; na — not; ca — also; ātmanaḥ — to the soul; sattvena — by the material mode of
goodness; anyatamau — the other two (passion and ignorance); hanyāt — may be destroyed; sattvam —
the material mode of goodness; sattvena — by purified goodness; ca — also (may be destroyed); eva —
certainly; hi — indeed.

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The three modes of material nature, namely goodness,
passion and ignorance, pertain to material intelligence and not to the spirit soul. By development of
material goodness one can conquer the modes of passion and ignorance, and by cultivation of
transcendental goodness one may free oneself even from material goodness.

PURPORT
Goodness in the material world never exists in a pure form. Therefore, it is common knowledge that on the
material platform no one is working without personal motivation. In the material world goodness is always
mixed with some amount of passion and ignorance, whereas spiritual, or purified, goodness (viśuddha-
sattva) represents the liberated platform of perfection. Materially, one is proud to be an honest,
compassionate man, but unless one is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious one will speak truths that are not ultimately
significant, and one will give mercy that is ultimately useless. Because the onward march of material time
removes all situations and persons from the material stage, our so-called mercy and truth apply to
situations that shortly will not exist. Real truth is eternal, and real mercy means to situate people in eternal
truth. Still, for an ordinary person, cultivation of material goodness may be a preliminary stage on the road
to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For example, it is stated in the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that one who is
addicted to meat-eating cannot understand the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. By cultivation of the material mode
of goodness, however, one may become a vegetarian and perhaps come to appreciate the sublime process
of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Since it is clearly stated in Bhagavad-gītā that the material modes of nature
constantly rotate, one must take advantage of an elevated position in material goodness to step onto the
transcendental platform. Otherwise, as the wheel of time turns one will again go into the darkness of
material ignorance.

SB 11.13.2
sattvād dharmo bhaved vṛddhāt puḿso mad-bhakti-lakṣaṇaḥ
sāttvikopāsayā sattvaḿ tato dharmaḥ pravartate

SYNONYMS
sattvāt — from the mode of goodness; dharmaḥ — religious principles; bhavet — arise; vṛddhāt — which
are strengthened; puḿsaḥ — of a person; mat-bhakti — by devotional service to Me; lakṣaṇaḥ —
characterized; sāttvika — of things in the mode of goodness; upāsayā — by serious cultivation; sattvam —
the mode of goodness; tataḥ — from that mode; dharmaḥ — religious principles; pravartate — arise.

TRANSLATION
When the living entity becomes strongly situated in the mode of goodness, then religious principles,
characterized by devotional service to Me, become prominent. One can strengthen the mode of
goodness by cultivation of those things that are already situated in goodness, and thus religious
principles arise.

PURPORT
Since the three modes of material nature are constantly in conflict, vying for supremacy, how is it possible
that the mode of goodness can subdue the modes of passion and ignorance? Lord Kṛṣṇa here explains how
one can be strongly fixed in the mode of goodness, which automatically gives rise to religious principles. In
the Fourteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Kṛṣṇa elaborately explains the things that are in goodness,
passion and ignorance. Thus, by choosing food, attitudes, work, recreation, etc., strictly in the mode of
goodness, one will become situated in that mode. The usefulness of sattva-guṇa, or the mode of goodness,
is that it produces religious principles aimed at and characterized by devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Without such devotional service to the Lord, the mode of goodness is considered useless and merely
another aspect of material illusion. The word vṛddhāt, or "strengthened, increased," indicates clearly that
one should come to the platform of viśuddha-sattva, or purified goodness. The word vṛddhāt indicates
growth, and growth should not be stopped until full maturity is reached. The full maturity of goodness is
called vīśuddha-sattva, or the transcendental platform on which there is no trace of any other quality. In
pure goodness all knowledge automatically manifests, and one can easily understand one's eternal loving
relationship with Lord Kṛṣṇa. That is the actual meaning and purpose of dharma, or religious principles.
Śrīla Madhvācārya points out in this regard that an increase in the mode of goodness strengthens religious
principles and the invigorated execution of religious principles strengthens the mode of goodness. In that
way, one can advance higher and higher in the mode of spiritual happiness.

SB 11.13.3
dharmo rajas tamo hanyāt sattva-vṛddhir anuttamaḥ
āśu naśyati tan-mūlo hy adharma ubhaye hate

SYNONYMS
dharmaḥ — religious principles based on devotional service; rajaḥ — the mode of passion; tamaḥ — the
mode of ignorance; hanyāt — destroy; sattva — of goodness; vṛddhiḥ — by the increase; anuttamaḥ — the
greatest; āśu — quickly; naśyati — is destroyed; tat — of passion and ignorance; mūlaḥ — the root; hi —
certainly; adharmaḥ — irreligion; ubhaye hate — when both are destroyed.

TRANSLATION
Religious principles, strengthened by the mode of goodness, destroy the influence of passion and
ignorance. When passion and ignorance are overcome, their original cause, irreligion, is quickly
vanquished.

SB 11.13.4
āgamo 'paḥ prajā deśaḥ kālaḥ karma ca janma ca
dhyānaḿ mantro 'tha saḿskāro daśaite guṇa-hetavaḥ

SYNONYMS
āgamaḥ — religious scriptures; apaḥ — water; prajāḥ — association with people in general or one's
children; deśaḥ — place; kālaḥ — time; karma — activities; ca — also; janma — birth; ca — also; dhyānam
— meditation; mantraḥ — chanting of mantras; atha — and; saḿskāraḥ — rituals for purification; daśa —
ten; ete — these; guṇa — of the modes of nature; hetavaḥ — causes.

TRANSLATION
 According to the quality of religious scriptures, water, one's association with one's children or with
people in general, the particular place, the time, activities, birth, meditation, chanting of mantras, and
purificatory rituals, the modes of nature become differently prominent.

PURPORT
The ten items mentioned above possess superior and inferior qualities and are thus identified as being in
goodness, passion or ignorance. One can increase the mode of goodness by selecting religious scriptures in
goodness, pure water, friendship with other persons in goodness, and so on. One should scrupulously avoid
any of these ten items that may be polluted by an inferior mode of nature.

SB 11.13.5
tat tat sāttvikam evaiṣāḿ yad yad vṛddhāḥ pracakṣate
nindanti tāmasaḿ tat tad rājasaḿ tad-upekṣitam

SYNONYMS
tat tat — those things; sāttvikam — in the mode of goodness; eva — indeed; eṣām — among the ten items;
yat yat — whatever; vṛddhāḥ — the sages of the past, such as Vyāsadeva, who are expert in Vedic
knowledge; pracakṣate — they praise; nindanti — they scorn; tāmasam — in the mode of ignorance; tat tat
— those things; rājasam — in the mode of passion; tat — hy the sages; upekṣitam — left alone, neither
praised nor criticized.

TRANSLATION
Among the ten items I have just mentioned, the great sages who understand Vedic knowledge have
praised and recommended those that are in the mode of goodness, criticized and rejected those in the
mode of ignorance, and shown indifference to those in the mode of passion.

SB 11.13.6
sāttvikāny eva seveta pumān sattva-vivṛddhaye
tato dharmas tato jñānaḿ yāvat smṛtir apohanam

SYNONYMS
sāttvikāni — things in the mode of goodness; eva — indeed; seveta — he should cultivate; pumān — a
person; sattva — the mode of goodness; vivṛddhaye — in order to increase; tataḥ — from that (increase in
goodness); dharmaḥ — one is fixed in religious principles; tataḥ — from that (religion); jñānam —
knowledge is manifest; yāvat — until; smṛtiḥ — self-realization, remembering one's eternal identity;
apohanam — driving away (the illusory identification with the material body and mind).

TRANSLATION
Until one revives one's direct knowledge of the spirit soul and drives away the illusory identification with
the material body and mind caused by the three modes of nature, one must cultivate those things in the
mode of goodness. By increasing the mode of goodness, one automatically can understand and practice
religious principles, and by such practice transcendental knowledge is awakened.

PURPORT
One who desires to cultivate the mode of goodness must consider the following points. One should study
religious scriptures that teach detachment from mental speculation and material sense gratification, not
scriptures that provide rituals and mantras to increase material ignorance. Such materialistic scriptures do
not give attention to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus are basically atheistic. One should
accept pure water for quenching thirst and cleaning the body. There is no need for a devotee to use
colognes, perfume, whiskey, beer, etc., which are all polluted manifestations of water. One should
associate with persons who are cultivating detachment from the material world and not with those who are
materially attached or sinful in their behavior. One should live in a solitary place where devotional service is
practiced and discussed among Vaiṣṇavas. One should not be spontaneously attracted to busy highways,
shopping centers, sports stadiums, and so on. Concerning time, one should rise by four o'clock in the
morning and utilize the auspicious brāhma-muhūrta to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Similarly, one
should avoid the sinful influence of hours such as midnight when ghosts and demons are encouraged to
become active. Concerning work, one should execute one's prescribed duties, follow the regulative
 principles of spiritual life and utilize all of one's energy for pious purposes. Time should not be wasted in
frivolous or materialistic activities, of which there are now literally millions in modern society. One can
cultivate birth in the mode of goodness by accepting the second birth of initiation from a bona fide spiritual
master and learning to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. One should not accept initiation or so-called spiritual
birth in unauthorized mystical or religious cults in the modes of passion and ignorance. One should
meditate upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the enjoyer of all sacrifices, and similarly, one
should meditate on the lives of great devotees and saintly persons. One should not meditate on lusty
women and envious men. Concerning mantras, one should follow the example of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and not other songs, verses, poetry or mantras that glorify the kingdom
of illusion. Purificatory rituals should be performed to purify the spirit soul and not to bring down material
blessings on one's material household.
One who increases the mode of goodness will certainly become fixed in religious principles, and
automatically knowledge will arise. As knowledge increases one is able to understand the eternal spirit soul
and the Supreme Soul, Lord Kṛṣṇa. Thus the soul becomes free from the artificial imposition of the gross
and subtle material bodies caused by the modes of material nature. Spiritual knowledge burns to ashes the
material designations that cover the living entity, and one's real, eternal life begins.

SB 11.13.7
veṇu-sańgharṣa-jo vahnir dagdhvā śāmyati tad-vanam
evaḿ guṇa-vyatyaya-jo dehaḥ śāmyati tat-kriyaḥ

SYNONYMS
veṇu — of bamboo; sańgharṣa-jaḥ — generated by the friction; vahniḥ — fire; dagdhvā — having burned;
śāmyati — is pacified; tat — of bamboo; vanam — the forest; evam — thus; guṇa — of the modes of
nature; vyatyaya-jaḥ — generated by interaction; dehaḥ — the material body; śāmyati — is pacified; tat —
as the fire; kriyaḥ — performing the same action.

TRANSLATION
In a bamboo forest the wind sometimes rubs the bamboo stalks together, and such friction generates a
blazing fire that consumes the very source of its birth, the bamboo forest. Thus, the fire is automatically
calmed by its own action. Similarly, by the competition and interaction of the material modes of nature,
the subtle and gross material bodies are generated. If one uses his mind and body to cultivate
knowledge, then such enlightenment destroys the influence of the modes of nature that generated one's
body. Thus, like the fire, the body and mind are pacified by their own actions in destroying the source of
their birth.

PURPORT
The word guṇa-vyatyaya-jaḥ is significant in this verse. Vyatyaya indicates change or inversion in the normal
order of things. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has described the concept of vyatyaya by giving the
Sanskrit synonym vaiṣamya, which indicates inequality or disproportionate diversity. Thus, it is understood
by the term guṇa-vyatyaya-jaḥ that the body is generated by the unstable relationships of the three modes
of material nature, which exist everywhere in constantly changing proportions. There is constant strife
among the modes of nature. A good person is sometimes torn by passion, and a passionate person
sometimes wants to give up everything and rest. An ignorant person may sometimes become disgusted
with his depraved life, and a passionate person may sometimes indulge in bad habits in the mode of
ignorance. Due to the interactive conflict of the modes of nature, one wanders throughout material nature
creating one body after another by one's own work, karma. As it is said, variety is the mother of enjoyment,
and the variety of material modes gives hope to the conditioned souls that by changing their material
situation their unhappiness and frustration can be turned into happiness and satisfaction. But even if one
acquires relative material happiness, that will soon be disturbed by the inevitable flux of the material
modes.

SB 11.13.8
śrī-uddhava uvāca
vidanti martyāḥ prāyeṇa viṣayān padam āpadām
tathāpi bhuñjate kṛṣṇa tat kathaḿ śva-kharāja-vat
 SYNONYMS
śrī-uddhavaḥ uvāca — Śrī Uddhava said; vidanti — they know; martyāḥ — human beings; prāyeṇa —
generally; viṣayān — sense gratification; padam — a situation; āpadām — of many miserable conditions;
tathā api — even so; bhuñjate — they enjoy; kṛṣṇa — O Kṛṣṇa; tat — such sense gratification; katham —
how is it possible; śva — dogs; khara — asses; aja — and goats; vat — just like.

TRANSLATION
Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Kṛṣṇa, generally human beings know that material life brings great future
unhappiness, and still they try to enjoy material life. My dear Lord, how can one in knowledge act just
like a dog, an ass or a goat?

PURPORT
The standard methods of enjoyment in the material world are sex, money and false prestige, all of which
are obtained with great suffering and eventually lost. One engaged in material life suffers in the present
and has only a very bleak future to look forward to in the continuing cycle of birth and death. Thus, how
can human beings who have seen these things and know them very well continue to enjoy life like dogs,
asses and goats? Often a dog will approach a bitch for sex, but the lady dog may not be attracted and will
show her teeth, snarl and threaten the poor dog with serious injury. Still he goes about his business trying
to get a little sex pleasure. Similarly, many times a dog risks being beaten or shot while stealing some food
in a place where he knows he should not go. The ass is very attracted to the she-ass, but the lady ass often
kicks him in the legs. Similarly, the ass's master gives the ass a handful of grass, which the poor ass could
get anywhere, and then burdens him with great loads. The goat is generally raised for slaughter, and even
when the goat is brought into the slaughterhouse he shamelessly goes after the lady goat to get sex
pleasure. In this way, even at the risk of being shot, bitten, beaten and slaughtered, animals persist in their
foolish sense gratification. How can an educated human being commit himself to such a condemned way of
life, wherein the result is practically the same as that of the animals? If by cultivating the mode of goodness
one's life is filled with happiness, enlightenment and future rewards, why would anyone cultivate the
modes of passion and ignorance? This is Uddhava's question.

SB 11.13.9-10
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
aham ity anyathā-buddhiḥ pramattasya yathā hṛdi
utsarpati rajo ghoraḿ tato vaikārikaḿ manaḥ
rajo-yuktasya manasaḥ sańkalpaḥ sa-vikalpakaḥ
tataḥ kāmo guṇa-dhyānād duḥsahaḥ syād dhi durmateḥ

SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; aham — false identification with the
material body and mind; iti — thus; anyathā-buddhiḥ — illusory knowledge; pramattasya — of one who is
bereft of actual intelligence; yathā — accordingly; hṛdi — within the mind; utsarpati — arises; rajaḥ —
passion; ghoram — which brings terrible suffering; tataḥ — then; vaikārikam — (originally) in the mode of
goodness; manaḥ — the mind; rajaḥ — in passion; yuktasya — of that which is engaged; manasaḥ — of the
mind; sańkalpaḥ — material determination; sa-vikalpakaḥ — along with variation and alternation; tataḥ —
from that; kāmaḥ — full-fledged material desire; guṇa — in the modes of nature; dhyānāt — from
concentration; duḥsahaḥ — unbearable; syāt — it must so be; hi — certainly; durmateḥ — of a foolish
person.

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, a person bereft of intelligence first falsely
identifies himself with the material body and mind, and when such false knowledge arises within one's
consciousness, material passion, the cause of great suffering, pervades the mind, which by nature is
situated in goodness. Then the mind, contaminated by passion, becomes absorbed in making and
changing many plans for material advancement. Thus, by constantly thinking of the modes of material
nature, a foolish person is afflicted with unbearable material desires.

PURPORT
 Those who are trying to enjoy material sense gratification are not actually intelligent, although they
consider themselves most intelligent. Although such foolish persons themselves criticize the miseries of
material life in innumerable books, songs, newspapers, television programs, civic committees, etc., they
cannot desist from material life for a single moment. The process by which one is helplessly bound in
illusion is clearly described here.
A materialistic person is always thinking, "Oh, what a beautiful house. I wish we could buy it" or "What a
beautiful woman. I wish I could touch her" or "What a powerful position. I wish I could occupy it," and so
on. The words sańkalpaḥ sa-vikalpakaḥ indicate that a materialist is always making new plans or modifying
his old plans to increase his material enjoyment, although in his saner moments he admits that material life
is full of suffering. The mind is created from the mode of goodness, as described in Sāńkhya philosophy, and
the natural, peaceful situation of the mind is pure love of Kṛṣṇa, in which there is no mental disturbance,
disappointment or confusion. Artificially, the mind is dragged down to a lower platform in passion or
ignorance, and thus one is never satisfied.

SB 11.13.11
karoti kāma-vaśa-gaḥ karmāṇy avijitendriyaḥ
duḥkhodarkāṇi sampaśyan rajo-vega-vimohitaḥ

SYNONYMS
karoti — performs; kāma — of material desires; vaśa — under the control; gaḥ — having gone; karmāṇi —
fruitive activities; avijita — uncontrolled; indriyaḥ — whose senses; duḥkha — unhappiness; udarkāṇi —
bringing as a future result; sampaśyan — seeing clearly; rajaḥ — of the mode of passion; vega — by the
force; vimohitaḥ — bewildered.

TRANSLATION
One who does not control the material senses comes under the control of material desires and is thus
bewildered by the strong waves of the mode of passion. Such a person executes material activities,
although clearly seeing that the result will be future unhappiness.

SB 11.13.12
rajas-tamobhyāḿ yad api vidvān vikṣipta-dhīḥ punaḥ
atandrito mano yuñjan doṣa-dṛṣṭir na sajjate

SYNONYMS
rajaḥ-tamobhyām — by the modes of passion and ignorance; yat api — even though; vidvān — a learned
person; vikṣipta — bewildered; dhīḥ — the intelligence; punaḥ — again; atandritaḥ — carefully; manaḥ —
the mind; yuñjan — engaging; doṣa — the contamination of material attachment; dṛṣṭiḥ — seeing clearly;
na — not; sajjate — becomes attached.

TRANSLATION
Although the intelligence of a learned person may be bewildered by the modes of passion and ignorance,
he should again carefully bring the mind under control. By clearly seeing the contamination of the modes
of nature, he does not become attached.

SB 11.13.13
apramatto 'nuyuñjīta mano mayy arpayañ chanaiḥ
anirviṇṇo yathā-kālaḿ jita-śvāso jitāsanaḥ

SYNONYMS
apramattaḥ — attentive and grave; anuyuñjīta — one should fix; manaḥ — the mind; mayi — in Me;
arpayan — placing; śanaiḥ — gradually, step by step; anirviṇṇaḥ — without being lazy or morose; yathā-
kālam — at least three times a day (dawn, noon and sunset); jita — having conquered; śvāsaḥ — the
breathing process; jita — having conquered; āsanaḥ — the sitting postures.

TRANSLATION
 A person should be attentive and grave and never lazy or morose. Mastering the yoga procedures of
breathing and sitting properly, one should practice fixing the mind on Me at dawn, noon and sunset, and
thus gradually the mind should be completely absorbed in Me.

SB 11.13.14
etāvān yoga ādiṣṭo mac-chiṣyaiḥ sanakādibhiḥ
sarvato mana ākṛṣya mayy addhāveśyate yathā

SYNONYMS
etāvān — actually this; yogaḥ — yoga system; ādiṣṭaḥ — instructed; mat-śiṣyaiḥ — by My devotees;
sanaka-ādibhiḥ — headed by Sanaka-kumāra; sarvataḥ — from all sides; manaḥ — the mind; ākṛṣya —
withdrawing; mayi — in Me; addhā — directly; āveśyate — is absorbed; yathā — accordingly.

TRANSLATION
The actual yoga system as taught by My devotees, headed by Sanaka-kumāra, is simply this: Having
withdrawn the mind from all other objects, one should directly and appropriately absorb it in Me.

PURPORT
The word yathā ("accordingly" or "properly") indicates that like Uddhava one should hear directly from Lord
Kṛṣṇa or His bona fide representative and directly (addhā) fix the mind in Lord Kṛṣṇa.

SB 11.13.15
śrī-uddhava uvāca
yadā tvaḿ sanakādibhyo yena rūpeṇa keśava
yogam ādiṣṭavān etad rūpam icchāmi veditum

SYNONYMS
śrī-uddhavaḥ uvāca — Śrī Uddhava said; yadā — when; tvam — You; sanaka-ādibhyaḥ — to Sanaka, etc.;
yena — by which; rūpeṇa — form; keśava — my dear Keśava; yogam — the process of fixing the mind in
the Absolute Truth; ādiṣṭavān — You have instructed; etat — that; rūpam — form; icchāmi — I desire;
veditum — to know.

TRANSLATION
Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Keśava, at what time and in what form did You instruct the science of yoga to
Sanaka and his brothers? I now desire to know about these things.

SB 11.13.16
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
putrā hiraṇyagarbhasya mānasāḥ sanakādayaḥ
papracchuḥ pitaraḿ sūkṣmāḿ yogasyaikāntikīm gatim

SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; putrāḥ — the sons; hiraṇya-garbhasya — of
Lord Brahmā; mānasāḥ — born of the mind; sanaka-ādayaḥ — headed by Sanaka Ṛṣi; papracchuḥ —
inquired; pitaram — from their father (Brahmā); sūkṣmām — subtle and therefore difficult to understand;
yogasya — of the science of yoga; ekāntikīm — the supreme; gatim — destination.

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Once, the mental sons of Lord Brahmā, namely, the sages
headed by Sanaka, inquired from their father about the difficult subject matter of the supreme goal of
yoga.

SB 11.13.17
sanakādaya ūcuḥ
guṇeṣv āviśate ceto guṇāś cetasi ca prabho
katham anyonya-santyāgo mumukṣor atititīrṣoḥ
 SYNONYMS
sanaka-ādayaḥ ūcuḥ — the sages headed by Sanaka said; guṇeṣu — in the sense objects; āviśate —
directly enters; cetaḥ — the mind; guṇāḥ — the sense objects; cetasi — within the mind; ca — also (enter);
prabho — O Lord; katham — what is the process; anyonya — of the mutual relationship between the sense
objects and the mind; santyāgaḥ — renunciation; mumukṣoḥ — of one desiring liberation; atititīrṣoḥ — of
one desiring to cross over sense gratification.

TRANSLATION
The sages headed by Sanaka said: O Lord, people's minds are naturally attracted to material sense
objects, and similarly the sense objects in the form of desire enter within the mind. Therefore, how can a
person who desires liberation, who desires to cross over activities of sense gratification, destroy this
mutual relationship between the sense objects and the mind? Please explain this to us.

PURPORT
As described above, as long as one is a conditioned soul the modes of material nature, manifested in the
form of sense objects, constantly disturb the mind, and by their harassment one is deprived of the actual
perfection of life.

SB 11.13.18
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
evaḿ pṛṣṭo mahā-devaḥ svayambhūr bhūta-bhāvanaḥ
dhyāyamānaḥ praśna-bījaḿ nābhyapadyata karma-dhīḥ

SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; evam — thus; pṛṣṭaḥ — questioned;
mahā-devaḥ — the great god Brahmā; svayam-bhūḥ — without material birth (born directly from the body
of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu); bhūta — of all conditioned souls; bhāvanaḥ — the creator (of their conditioned
life); dhyāyamānaḥ — seriously considering; praśna — of the question; bījam — the essential truth; na
abhyapadyata — did not reach; karma-dhīḥ — intelligence bewildered by his own activities of creation.

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, Brahmā himself, who is born directly from
the body of the Lord and who is the creator of all living entities within the material world, being the best
of the demigods, seriously contemplated the question of his sons headed by Sanaka. The intelligence of
Brahmā, however, was affected by his own activities of creation, and thus he could not discover the
essential answer to this question.

PURPORT
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has quoted three verses from the Second Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as follows. In the
Ninth Chapter, verse 32, Lord Kṛṣṇa blessed Brahmā with realized knowledge of the Lord's actual form,
qualities and activities. In the Ninth Chapter, verse 37, the Lord ordered Brahmā to rigidly carry out the
Lord's injunctions and affirmed that Brahmā would thus never be bewildered in his cosmic decision-making.
In the Sixth Chapter, verse 34, Lord Brahmā assured his son Nārada, "O Nārada, because I have caught hold
of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, with great zeal, whatever I say has never
proved to have been false, nor is the progress of my mind ever deterred, nor are my senses ever degraded
by temporary attachment to matter."
In the present verse in this Thirteenth Chapter of the Eleventh Canto, Lord Kṛṣṇa states that Brahmā
unfortunately did become bewildered by his creative functions, thus providing a grave lesson to all of the
Lord's empowered representatives. Although one may be elevated to an exalted position in the Lord's
transcendental service, at any moment there is danger of false pride polluting one's devotional mentality.

SB 11.13.19
sa mām acintayad devaḥ praśna-pāra-titīrṣayā
tasyāhaḿ haḿsa-rūpeṇa sakāśam agamaḿ tadā
 SYNONYMS
saḥ — he (Lord Brahmā); mām — Me; acintayat — remembered; devaḥ — the original demigod; praśna —
of the question; pāra — the end, conclusion (the answer); titīrṣayā — with a desire to attain, understand;
tasya — unto him; aham — I; haḿsa-rūpeṇa — in My form of Haḿsa; sakāśam — visible; agamam —
became; tadā — at that time.

TRANSLATION
Lord Brahmā desired to attain the answer to the question that was puzzling him, and thus he fixed his
mind on Me, the Supreme Lord. At that time, in My form of Haḿsa, I became visible to Lord Brahmā.

PURPORT
Haḿsa means "swan," and the specific ability of the swan is to separate a mixture of milk and water,
extracting the rich, milky portion. Similarly, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared as Haḿsa, or the swan, in order to
separate the pure consciousness of Lord Brahmā from the modes of material nature.

SB 11.13.20
dṛṣṭvā mām ta upavrajya kṛtva pādābhivandanam
brahmāṇam agrataḥ kṛtvā papracchuḥ ko bhavān iti

SYNONYMS
dṛṣṭvā — thus seeing; mām — Me; te — they (the sages); upavrajya — approaching; kṛtvā — offering; pāda
— at the lotus feet; abhivandanam — obeisances; brahmāṇam — Lord Brahmā; agrataḥ — in front; kṛtvā —
keeping; papracchuḥ — they asked; kaḥ bhavān — "who are You, sir?"; iti — thus.

TRANSLATION
Thus seeing Me, the sages, placing Brahmā in the lead, came forward and worshiped My lotus feet. Then
they frankly asked Me, "Who are You?"

PURPORT
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura comments, "When Brahmā was unable to answer the question
placed by the sages, he fixed his mind in thought of the Supreme Lord. The Lord then assumed the form of
Haḿsa and appeared before Lord Brahmā and the sages, who proceeded to inquire about the specific
identity of the Lord."

SB 11.13.21
ity ahaḿ munibhiḥ pṛṣṭas tattva-jijñāsubhis tadā
yad avocam ahaḿ tebhyas tad uddhava nibodha me

SYNONYMS
iti — thus; aham — I; munibhiḥ — by the sages; pṛṣṭaḥ — questioned; tattva — the truth about the goal of
yoga; jijñāsubhiḥ — by those desiring to know; tadā — at that time; yat — that which; avocam — spoke;
aham — I; tebhyaḥ — unto them; tat — that; uddhava — My dear Uddhava; nibodha — please learn; me —
from Me.

TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, the sages, being eager to understand the ultimate truth of the yoga system, thus
inquired from Me. Now please hear as I explain that which I spoke unto the sages.

SB 11.13.22
vastuno yady anānātva ātmanaḥ praśna īdṛśaḥ
kathaḿ ghaṭeta vo viprā vaktur vā me ka āśrayaḥ

SYNONYMS
vastunaḥ — of the essential reality; yadi — if; anānātve — in the concept of nonindividuality; ātmanaḥ —
of the jīva soul; praśnaḥ — question; īdṛśaḥ — such; katham — how; ghaṭeta — is it possible or
appropriate; vaḥ — of you who are asking; viprāḥ — O brāhmaṇas; vaktuḥ — of the speaker; vā — or; me
— of Me; kaḥ — what is; āśrayaḥ — the real situation or resting place.
 TRANSLATION
My dear brāhmaṇas, if, when asking Me who I am, you believe that I am also a jīva soul and that there is
no ultimate difference between us — since all souls are ultimately one without individuality — then how
is your question possible or appropriate? Ultimately, what is the real situation or resting place both of
yourselves and of Me?

PURPORT
Āśraya means "the resting place" or "shelter." Lord Kṛṣṇa's question "That is our actual resting place or
shelter?" means "What is our ultimate nature or constitutional position?" This is because no one can come
to rest or be satisfied unless one is in one's natural position. The example is given that one may travel all
over the world, but ultimately one becomes satisfied by returning to one's own home. Similarly, a crying
child is satisfied when embraced by its own mother. By inquiring about the shelter or resting place of
Himself and the brāhmaṇas, the Lord is indicating the eternal, constitutional position of every living entity
If Lord Kṛṣṇa were also in the jīva category, and if all living entities including Him were thus equal, there
would be no deep purpose in one living entity inquiring and another answering. Only one who is in a
superior position can meaningfully answer important questions. It may be argued that the bona fide
spiritual master answers all the questions of the disciple, and yet the guru is in the jīva category. The
answer is that the bona fide spiritual master speaks not on his own behalf but as a representative of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is in the Viṣṇu category. A so-called guru speaking on his own behalf
as a jīva soul is useless and is unable to meaningfully answer serious questions. Thus, the sages' question ko
bhavān ("Who are You?") indicates that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternally an individual
person. And because the sages headed by Lord Brahmā offered obeisances and worshiped the Lord, it is
understood that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Brahmā, as the first created being in this
universe, could not accept any other living entity except the Lord as worshipable.
Lord Kṛṣṇa's actual purpose is to explain the ultimate perfection of yoga, which the sages were desiring to
know. If one becomes fixed in transcendental knowledge, the mutual attraction between the material mind
and the material sense objects automatically ceases. The spiritual mind is not attracted to material objects
of gratification, and thus by spiritualizing the mind, material existence automatically slackens. By
questioning the propriety of the sages' question, the Lord is assuming the position of the spiritual master
and preparing to give valuable instructions. One should never be envious of a bona fide spiritual master,
especially if, as in the case of Lord Haḿsa speaking to the sages headed by Brahmā and Sanaka-kumāra, the
guru is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.

SB 11.13.23
pañcātmakeṣu bhūteṣu samāneṣu ca vastutaḥ
ko bhavān iti vaḥ praśno vācārambho hy anarthakaḥ

SYNONYMS
pañca — of five elements; ātmakeṣu — made of; bhūteṣu — thus existing; samāneṣu — being the same; ca
— also; vastutaḥ — in essence; kaḥ — who; bhavān — are You; iti — thus; vaḥ — your; praśnaḥ —
question; vācā — merely with words; ārambhaḥ — such an endeavor; hi — certainly; anarthakaḥ —
without real meaning or purpose.

TRANSLATION
If by asking Me "Who are You?" you were referring to the material body, then I must point out that all
material bodies are constituted of five elements, namely earth, water, fire, air and ether. Thus, you
should have asked, "Who are you five?" If you consider that all material bodies are ultimately one, being
constituted essentially of the same elements, then your question is still meaningless, since there would
be no deep purpose in distinguishing one body from another. Thus, it appears that in asking My identity,
you are merely speaking words, without any real meaning or purpose.

PURPORT
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains this verse as follows. "In the previous verse Lord Kṛṣṇa
demonstrated that if the sages accepted the impersonal philosophy that all living beings are ultimately one
in all respects, their question 'Who are You?' was meaningless, since there would be no philosophical basis
to distinguish one manifestation of spirit soul from another. In this verse the Lord refutes the false
identification with the material body composed of five elements. If the sages accepted the body as the self,
then their question was meaningless, since they would have to ask, 'Who are you five?' If the sages replied
that although the body is composed basically of five elements and these elements combine and thus form
one unique substance, then the Lord has already replied by the words samāneṣu ca vastutaḥ. The bodies of
human beings, demigods, animals, etc., are all composed of the same five elements and are essentially the
same. Therefore the question 'Who are You?' is ultimately meaningless. Thus, if one accepts either the
theory that all living entities are ultimately the same or the theory that all living entities are ultimately
nondifferent from their material bodies, in both cases the question of the sages is meaningless.
"The sages might argue that even among learned persons it is common practice to ask questions and give
answers on many subjects as a part of normal life. The sages could point out that Lord Kṛṣṇa also
distinguished among them, by His saying viprāḥ, 'O brāhmaṇas,' and vaḥ, or 'your [question],' as expressed
in this verse. In this way it is seen that the Lord also accepts the ordinary customs of questions and
answers. To answer this argument, Lord Kṛṣṇa states, vācārambho hy anarthakaḥ. The Lord states, 'My
addressing you as brāhmaṇas is merely an exhibition of words if we are ultimately not different. I merely
reciprocated with your approach to Me. Therefore, if we are ultimately one, neither My statement nor your
question has any real meaning. I can conclude therefore by your question to Me that you are all not
actually very intelligent. Therefore, why are you inquiring after ultimate knowledge? Aren't you all
embarrassed?'"
Śrīla Madhvācārya points out in this regard that the question of the sages was not appropriate, since they
had already seen their father, Lord Brahmā, worshiping the lotus feet of Lord Haḿsa. Since their spiritual
master and father was worshiping Lord Haḿsa, they should have immediately understood the Lord's
position, and their question is thus meaningless.

SB 11.13.24
manasā vacasā dṛṣṭyā gṛhyate 'nyair apīndriyaiḥ
aham eva na matto 'nyad iti budhyadhvam añjasā

SYNONYMS
manasā — by the mind; vacasā — by speech; dṛṣṭyā — by sight; gṛhyate — is perceived and thus accepted;
anyaiḥ — by others; api — even; indriyaiḥ — senses; aham — I; eva — indeed; na — not; mattaḥ — besides
Me; anyat — anything else; iti — thus; budhyadhvam — you should all understand; añjasā — by
straightforward analysis of the facts.

TRANSLATION
Within this world, whatever is perceived by the mind, speech, eyes or other senses is Me alone and
nothing besides Me. All of you please understand this by a straightforward analysis of the facts.

PURPORT
Lord Kṛṣṇa has already explained that if the sages consider all living entities to be the same, or if they
consider the living entity to be the same as his body, then their question ("Who are You?") is inappropriate.
Now the Lord refutes the conception that He is a Supreme God far beyond and different from everything
within this world. Modern agnostic philosophers preach that God created the world and then retired or
went away. According to them, God has no tangible connection with this world, nor does He interfere in
human affairs. Ultimately, they claim, God is so great that He cannot be known; therefore no one should
waste time trying to understand God. To refute such foolish ideas, the Lord here explains that since
everything is the expansion of His potency, He is not different from anything. Nothing can exist separately
from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus everything shares in the Lord's nature, although some
manifestations are superior and others inferior. The Lord is testing the intelligence of the sages by pointing
out various contradictions in their questions. Even if the Lord is supreme, He is not different from His
creation; therefore, what is the meaning of the question "Who are You?" We can clearly see that the Lord is
paving the way for a deep discussion of spiritual knowledge.

SB 11.13.25
guṇeṣv āviśate ceto guṇāś cetasi ca prajāḥ
jīvasya deha ubhayaḿ guṇāś ceto mad-ātmanaḥ

SYNONYMS
 guṇeṣu — in the sense objects; āviśate — enters; cetaḥ — the mind; guṇāḥ — the sense objects; cetasi —
in the mind; ca — also (enter); prajāḥ — My dear sons; jīvasya — of the living entity; dehaḥ — the outward
body, existing as designation; ubhayam — both of these; guṇāḥ — the sense objects; cetaḥ — the mind;
mat-ātmanaḥ — having Me as the Supreme Soul.

TRANSLATION
My dear sons, the mind has a natural proclivity to enter into the material sense objects, and similarly the
sense objects enter into the mind; but both this material mind and the sense objects are merely
designations that cover the spirit soul, who is part and parcel of Me.

PURPORT
Lord Kṛṣṇa in the form of Haḿsa-avatāra, on the pretext of finding contradictions in the simple inquiry of
the sons of Brahmā ("Who are You?"), is actually preparing to teach the sages perfect spiritual knowledge,
but only after first rejecting two false concepts of life, namely that all living entities are the same in all
respects and that the living entity is identical with his outward or subtle body. Lord Kṛṣṇa now answers the
difficult question that puzzled even Lord Brahmā. According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the sons
of Lord Brahmā were thinking as follows. "Our dear Lord, if it is indeed true that we are unintelligent, still
Your Lordship has stated that You are actually everything because everything is the expansion of Your
potency. Therefore, You are also the mind and the sense objects, which are the subject matter of our
question. The material sense objects always enter into the functions of the mind, and similarly, the mind
always enters into the material sense objects. Thus, it is proper that we inquire from Your Lordship about
the process by which the sense objects will no longer enter the mind and the mind will no longer enter the
sense objects. Please be merciful and give us the answer." The Lord answers as follows. "My dear sons, it is
a fact that the mind enters into the material sense objects and the sense objects into the mind. Thus,
although the living entity is actually part and parcel of Me, being, as I am also, eternally conscious, and
although the eternal form of the living entity is spiritual, in conditioned life the living entity artificially
imposes upon himself the mind and sense objects, which act as covering designations of the eternal soul.
Since it is the natural function of the material mind and sense objects to mutually interact, how can you
possibly endeavor to prevent such a mutual attraction? Since both the material mind and sense objects are
useless, they both should be completely given up, and thus automatically you will be free from all material
duality."
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī points out that the symptom of the material mind is the tendency to consider oneself
to be the ultimate doer and enjoyer. Naturally, one with such a puffed-up mentality is helplessly attracted
by the sense objects. One who considers himself to be the doer and enjoyer will be irresistibly attracted to
the means for attaining sense gratification and false prestige, namely, exploitation of material objects.
Above the material mind, however, is intelligence, which can perceive the existence of the eternal spirit
soul. It is not possible to separate the material mind from the sense objects, because they naturally exist
together. Therefore, by intelligence, one must realize one's eternal form as spirit soul, part and parcel of
the Lord, and completely reject the bogus material mentality. One who revives his original spiritual
mentality becomes automatically detached from material attraction. Therefore, one should cultivate
knowledge of the falsity of sense gratification. When the mind or senses are attracted to material
enjoyment, the superior intelligence must immediately detect such illusion. In this way, one should purify
one's mentality. By devotional service to the Lord, such detachment and intelligence automatically awaken,
and by full understanding of one's original spiritual form, one is properly situated in eternal consciousness.

SB 11.13.26
guṇeṣu cāviśac cittam abhīkṣṇaḿ guṇa-sevayā
guṇāś ca citta-prabhavā mad-rūpa ubhayaḿ tyajet

SYNONYMS
guṇeṣu — in the sense objects; ca — and; āviśat — entered; cittam — the mind; abhīkṣṇam — again and
again; guṇa-sevayā — by sense gratification; guṇāḥ — and the material sense objects; ca — also; citta —
within the mind; prabhavāḥ — existing prominently; mat-rūpaḥ — one who has realized that he is not
different from Me, and who is thus absorbed in My form, pastimes, etc.; ubhayam — both (the mind and
sense objects); tyajet — should give up.

TRANSLATION
A person who has thus achieved Me by understanding that he is not different from Me realizes that the
material mind is lodged within the sense objects because of constant sense gratification, and that the
material objects are existing prominently within the material mind. Having understood My
transcendental nature, he gives up both the material mind and its objects.

PURPORT
The Lord again states here that it is most difficult to separate the material mind from its objects because
the material mind by definition considers itself to be the doer and enjoyer of everything. It must be
understood that giving up the material mind does not mean giving up all mental activities, but instead
means purifying the mind and engaging one's enlightened mentality in the devotional service of the Lord.
Since time immemorial the material mind and senses have been in contact with the sense objects;
therefore, how is it possible for the material mind to give up its objects, which are the basis of its
existence? And not only does the mind reach out to material objects, but also, because of the mind's
desires, the material objects cannot remain out of the mind, helplessly entering at every moment. Thus,
separation between the mind and sense objects is not actually feasible, nor does it serve any purpose. If
one retains a material mentality, considering oneself to be supreme, one may renounce sense gratification,
considering it to be ultimately the cause of unhappiness, but one will not be able to remain on such an
artificial platform, nor will such renunciation serve any real purpose. Without surrender to the lotus feet of
the Lord, mere renunciation cannot take one out of this material world.
Just as the sun's rays are part of the sun, the living entities are part of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
When the living entity is completely absorbed in his identity as the part and parcel of the Personality of
Godhead, he becomes actually wise and easily gives up the material mind and sense objects. The word
mad-rūpaḥ in this verse indicates absorption of the mind in the form, qualities, pastimes and associates of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Immersed in such ecstatic meditation, one should render devotional
service to the Lord, and this will automatically drive away the influence of sense gratification. By himself,
the living entity does not have the potency to give up his false identification with the material mind and
sense objects, but by worshiping the Lord in the mood of being His eternal part-and-parcel servant, one is
infused with the Lord's potency, which easily drives away the darkness of ignorance.

SB 11.13.27
jāgrat svapnaḥ suṣuptaḿ ca guṇato buddhi-vṛttayaḥ
tāsāḿ vilakṣaṇo jīvaḥ sākṣitvena viniścitaḥ

SYNONYMS
jāgrat — being awake; svapnaḥ — dreaming; su-suptam — deep sleep; ca — also; guṇataḥ — caused by the
modes of nature; buddhi — of intelligence; vṛttayaḥ — the functions; tāsām — from such functions;
vilakṣaṇaḥ — possessing different characteristics; jīvaḥ — the living entity; sākṣitvena — with the
characteristic of being a witness; viniścitaḥ — is ascertained.

TRANSLATION
Waking, sleeping and deep sleep are the three functions of the intelligence and are caused by the modes
of material nature. The living entity within the body is ascertained to possess characteristics different
from these three states and thus remains us a witness to them.

PURPORT
The spirit soul actually has nothing to do with the material world, having no permanent or natural
relationship with it. Real renunciation means to give up the illusory identification with matter in its subtle
and gross forms. Suṣuptam, or deep sleep, indicates sleeping without any dreams or conscious activity.
These three states are described by Lord Kṛṣṇa as follows:
sattvāj jāgaraṇaḿ vidyād rajasā svapnam ādiśet
prasvāpaḿ tamasā jantos turīyaḿ triṣu santatam
"One should know that wakefulness is born of the mode of goodness, dreams from the mode of passion,
and deep dreamless sleep from the mode of ignorance. The fourth element, pure consciousness, is
different from these three and pervades them." (Bhāg. 11.25.20) Real freedom means sākṣitvena, or to
exist as a witness to the functions of illusion. Such an advantageous position is achieved by development of
Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
 SB 11.13.28
yarhi saḿsṛti-bandho 'yam ātmano guṇa-vṛtti-daḥ
mayi turye sthito jahyāt tyāgas tad guṇa-cetasām

SYNONYMS
yarhi — whereas; saḿsṛti — of material intelligence or material existence; bandhaḥ — bondage; ayam —
this is; ātmanaḥ — of the soul; guṇa — in the modes of nature; vṛtti-daḥ — that which gives occupations;
mayi — in Me; turye — in the fourth element (beyond wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep); sthitaḥ —
being situated; jahyāt — one should give up; tyāgaḥ — renunciation; tat — at that time; guṇa — of the
material sense objects; cetasām — and of the material mind.

TRANSLATION
The spirit soul is trapped in the bondage of material intelligence, which awards him constant
engagement in the illusory modes of nature. But I am the fourth stage of consciousness, beyond
wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep. Becoming situated in Me, the soul should give up the bondage of
material consciousness. At that time, the living entity will automatically renounce the material sense
objects and the material mind.

PURPORT
Lord Kṛṣṇa now specifically answers the questions that the sages originally placed before Lord Brahmā.
Ultimately, the spirit soul has nothing to do with the material sense objects and modes of nature. But
because of one's false identification with the material body, the modes of nature are empowered to engage
one in illusory occupations. By destroying this false identification with matter, the soul gives up the illusory
occupations awarded by the modes of nature. It is clearly stated in this verse that the living entity is not
empowered to independently free himself from illusion, but must situate himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in
full awareness of the Supreme Lord.

SB 11.13.29
ahańkāra-kṛtaḿ bandham ātmano 'rtha-viparyayam
vidvān nirvidya saḿsāra-cintāḿ turye sthitas tyajet

SYNONYMS
ahańkāra — by false ego; kṛtam — produced; bandham — bondage; ātmanaḥ — of the soul; artha — of
that which is really valuable; viparyayam — being the opposite; vidvān — one who knows; nirvidya — being
detached; saḿsāra — in material existence; cintām — constant thoughts; turye — in the fourth element,
the Lord; sthitaḥ — being situated; tyajet — should give up.

TRANSLATION
The false ego of the living entity places him in bondage and awards him exactly the opposite of what he
really desires. Therefore, an intelligent person should give up his constant anxiety to enjoy material life
and remain situated in the Lord, who is beyond the functions of material consciousness.

PURPORT
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī comments as follows. "How does material existence cause the bondage of the living
entity, and how can such bondage be given up? The Lord explains this here by the word ahańkāra-kṛtam.
Because of false ego, one is bound up in the network of illusion. Artha-viparyayam indicates that although
the living entity desires blissful life, eternity and knowledge, he adopts procedures that actually cover over
his eternal, blissful nature and give him exactly the opposite result. The living entity does not want death
and suffering, but these are actually the results of material existence, which is therefore useless for all
practical purposes. An intelligent person should contemplate the unhappiness of material life and thus
become situated in the transcendental Lord. The word saḿsāra-cintām can be understood as follows.
Saḿsāra, or material existence, indicates material intelligence, because material existence only occurs
because of the living entity's false intellectual identification with the material world. Because of this
misidentification, one becomes overwhelmed with saḿsāra-cintām, anxiety to enjoy the material world.
One should become situated in the Lord and give up such useless anxiety."

SB 11.13.30
 yāvan nānārtha-dhīḥ puḿso na nivarteta yuktibhiḥ
jāgarty api svapann ajñaḥ svapne jāgaraṇaḿ yathā

SYNONYMS
yāvat — as long as; nānā — of many; artha — values; dhīḥ — the conception; puḿsaḥ — of a person; na —
does not; nivarteta — subside; yuktibhiḥ — by the appropriate methods (described by Me); jāgarti — being
awake; api — although; svapan — sleeping, dreaming; ajñaḥ — one who does not see things as they are;
svapne — in a dream; jāgaraṇam — being awake; yathā — just as.

TRANSLATION
According to My instructions, one should fix the mind on Me alone. If, however, one continues to see
many different values and goals in life rather than seeing everything within Me, then although
apparently awake, one is actually dreaming due to incomplete knowledge, just as one may dream that
one has wakened from a dream.

PURPORT
One who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious cannot understand that everything is resting within Lord Kṛṣṇa, and thus it
is impossible for him to retire from material sense gratification. One may adopt a particular process of
salvation and consider oneself to be "saved"; nevertheless, his material conditioning will remain and thus
he will maintain his attachment to the material world. While one is dreaming he sometimes imagines that
he has awakened from a dream and is experiencing normal consciousness. Similarly, one may consider
oneself to be saved, but if he remains absorbed in making material value judgements between good and
bad, without reference to devotional service to the Supreme Lord, he is understood to be a conditioned
soul covered by the illusory identification with matter.

SB 11.13.31
asattvād ātmano 'nyeṣāḿ bhāvānāḿ tat-kṛtā bhidā
gatayo hetavaś cāsya mṛṣā svapna-dṛśo yathā

SYNONYMS
asattvāt — because of lacking factual existence; ātmanaḥ — from the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
anyeṣām — of others; bhāvānām — states of existence; tat — by them; kṛtā — created; bhidā — difference
or separation; gatayaḥ — destinations such as going to heaven; hetavaḥ — fruitive activities, which are the
cause of future rewards; ca — also; asya — of the living entity; mṛṣā — false; svapna — of a dream; dṛśaḥ
— of the seer; yathā — just as.

TRANSLATION
Those states of existence that are conceived of as separate from the Supreme Personality of Godhead
have no actual existence, although they create a sense of separation from the Absolute Truth. Just as the
seer of a dream imagines many different activities and rewards, similarly, because of the sense of an
existence separate from the Lord's existence, the living entity falsely performs fruitive activities, thinking
them to be the cause of future rewards and destinations.

PURPORT
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura comments as follows: "Although Lord Kṛṣṇa in His form of Haḿsa-
avatāra has condemned the intelligence that sees duality and separate values within the material world,
the Vedas themselves institute the system of varṇāśrama-dharma, by which the entire human society is
divided into different castes, occupations and spiritual statuses. Therefore, how can the Lord recommend
that one give up one's faith in this Vedic system? The answer is given in this verse as follows. The words
anyeṣāḿ bhāvānām, or 'of other states of existence,' refer to the innumerable divisions of false
identification with the material body, mind, occupation, and so on. Such identification is illusion, and the
material divisions of the varṇāśrama system are certainly based on this illusion. The Vedic literatures
promise heavenly rewards such as residence in upper planetary systems and prescribe the means to
acquire such rewards. However, both the rewards and the means for achieving them are ultimately illusion.
Since this world is the Lord's creation, one cannot deny that its existence is also real; yet the living entity
 who identifies the creations of this world as belonging to himself is certainly in illusion. The example may
be given that horns are real and rabbits are real, but if one imagines a rabbit's horns, that is certainly
illusion, though a rabbit's horns may occur in a dream. Similarly, the living entity dreams of a permanent
relationship within the material world. One may dream that one is feasting on sumptuous sweet rice
prepared with milk and sugar, but there is no actual nutritional value in the dream of royal feasting."
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura remarks in this regard that just as one soon forgets the experience
of a dream after awakening, similarly, a liberated soul in Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not see anything
substantial in even the most exalted rewards offered by the Vedas, such as promotion to the heavenly
planets. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna in Bhagavad-gītā to remain fixed in self-realization, without
being deviated by fruitive rituals performed in the name of religion.

SB 11.13.32
yo jāgare bahir anukṣaṇa-dharmiṇo 'rthān
bhuńkte samasta-karaṇair hṛdi tat-sadṛkṣān
svapne suṣupta upasaḿharate sa ekaḥ
smṛty-anvayāt tri-guṇa-vṛtti-dṛg indriyeśaḥ

SYNONYMS
yaḥ — the living entity who; jāgare — while awake; bahiḥ — external; anukṣaṇa — momentary; dharmiṇaḥ
— qualities; arthān — the body and mind and their experiences; bhuńkte — enjoys; samasta — with all;
karaṇaiḥ — the senses; hṛdi — within the mind; tat-sadṛkṣān — experiences similar to those in
wakefulness; svapne — in dreams; suṣupte — in deep dreamless sleep; upasaḿharate — merges into
ignorance; saḥ — he; ekaḥ — one; smṛti — of memory; anvayāt — by the succession; tri-guṇa — of the
three stages wakefulness, dream and dreamless sleep; vṛtti — functions; dṛk — seeing; indriya — of the
senses; īśaḥ — becomes the lord.

TRANSLATION
While awake the living entity enjoys with all of his senses the fleeting characteristics of the material body
and mind; while dreaming he enjoys similar experiences within the mind; and in deep dreamless sleep all
such experiences merge into ignorance. By remembering and contemplating the succession of
wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep, the living entity can understand that he is one throughout the
three stages of consciousness and is transcendental. Thus, he becomes the lord of the senses.

PURPORT
In verse 30 of this chapter Lord Kṛṣṇa stated that one must retire from material duality by the proper
means, which the Lord now explains. One may first consider the three phases of consciousness mentioned
above and then understand one's own transcendental position as spirit soul. One experiences childhood,
boyhood, adolescence, adulthood, middle age and old age, and throughout these phases one is
experiencing things while awake and while dreaming. Similarly, one may, by careful intelligence,
understand one's lack of consciousness during deep sleep, and thus through intelligence one may have
experience of lack of consciousness.
One may argue that it is actually the senses that experience during wakefulness and that it is the mind that
experiences during dreams. However, the Lord here states, indriyeśaḥ: the living entity is actually the lord
of the senses and mind, although temporarily he has become a victim of their influence. By Kṛṣṇa
consciousness one may resume one's rightful position as master of the mental and sensory faculties. Also,
since the living entity can remember his experiences in these three stages of consciousness, he is ultimately
the experiencing agent or the seer of all phases of consciousness. He remembers, "I saw so many things in
my dream, and then my dream ended and I didn't see anything. Now I'm waking up." This universal
experience can be understood by everyone, and thus everyone can understand that one's actual identity is
separate from the material body and mind.

SB 11.13.33
evaḿ vimṛśya guṇato manasas try-avasthā
man-māyayā mayi kṛtā iti niścitārthāḥ
sañchidya hārdam anumāna-sad-ukti-tīkṣṇa
jñānāsinā bhajata mākhila-saḿśayādhim
 SYNONYMS
evam — thus; vimṛśya — considering; guṇataḥ — by the modes of nature; manasaḥ — of the mind; tri-
avasthāḥ — the three states of consciousness; mat-māyayā — by the influence of My illusory potency;
mayi — in Me; kṛtāḥ — imposed; iti — thus; niścita-arthāḥ — those who have ascertained the actual
meaning of the soul; sañchidya — cutting off; hārdam — situated in the heart; anumāna — by logic; sat-ukti
— and by the instructions of sages and the Vedic literatures; tīkṣṇa — sharpened; jñāna — of knowledge;
asinā — by the sword; bhajata — all of you worship; mā — Me; akhila — of all; saḿśaya — doubts; ādhim
— the cause (false ego).

TRANSLATION
You should consider how, by the influence of My illusory energy, these three states of the mind, caused
by the modes of nature, have been artificially imagined to exist in Me. Having definitely ascertained the
truth of the soul, you should utilize the sharpened sword of knowledge, acquired by logical reflection and
from the instructions of sages and Vedic literatures, to completely cut off the false ego, which is the
breeding ground of all doubts. All of you should then worship Me, who am situated within the heart.

PURPORT
One who has obtained transcendental knowledge is no longer dependent on the three stages of ordinary
consciousness, namely waking, dreaming and dreamless sleep. One thus rids one's material mind of the
tendency to become the enjoyer of the inferior energy of the Lord, and one sees everything as part and
parcel of the Lord's potency, meant only for the enjoyment of the Lord Himself. In such a state of
consciousness, one naturally surrenders fully to the Lord's devotional service, which Lord Haḿsa here
advises the sons of Lord Brahmā to take up.

SB 11.13.34
īkṣeta vibhramam idaḿ manaso vilāsaḿ
dṛṣṭaḿ vinaṣṭam ati-lolam alāta-cakram
vijñānam ekam urudheva vibhāti māyā
svapnas tridhā guṇa-visarga-kṛto vikalpaḥ

SYNONYMS
īkṣeta — one should see; vibhramam — as illusion or mistake; idam — this (material world); manasaḥ — of
the mind; vilāsam — appearance or jumping; dṛṣṭam — here today; vinaṣṭam — gone tomorrow; ati-lolam
— extremely flickering; alāta-cakram — just like the moving red line created by whirling a fiery stick;
vijñānam — the spirit soul, by nature fully conscious; ekam — is one; urudhā — in many divisions; iva — as
if; vibhāti — appears; māyā — this is illusion; svapnaḥ — merely a dream; tridhā — in three divisions; guṇa
— of the modes of nature; visarga — by the transformation; kṛtaḥ — created; vikalpaḥ — variety of
perception or imagination.

TRANSLATION
One should see that the material world is a distinct illusion appearing in the mind, because material
objects have an extremely flickering existence and are here today and gone tomorrow. They can be
compared to the streaking red line created by whirling a fiery stick. The spirit soul by nature exists in the
single state of pure consciousness. However, in this world he appears in many different forms and stages
of existence. The modes of nature divide the soul's consciousness into normal wakefulness, dreaming
and dreamless sleep. All such varieties of perception, however, are actually māyā and exist only like a
dream.

PURPORT
The Lord now describes an additional process for transcending the illusory interaction of the material mind
and material sense objects. Lāsa means "jumping" or "dancing," and thus manaso vilāsam here indicates
that the material mind is jumping superficially from one conception of life to another. Our original
consciousness, however, is one (vijñānam ekam). Therefore, one should carefully study the flickering "here
today, gone tomorrow" nature of the material world and detach oneself from the illusory variety of māyā.
 SB 11.13.35
dṛṣṭim tataḥ pratinivartya nivṛtta-tṛṣṇas
tūṣṇīḿ bhaven nija-sukhānubhavo nirīhaḥ
sandṛśyate kva ca yadīdam avastu-buddhyā
tyaktaḿ bhramāya na bhavet smṛtir ā-nipātāt

SYNONYMS
dṛṣṭim — sight; tataḥ — from that illusion; pratinivartya — pulling away; nivṛtta — ceased; tṛṣṇaḥ —
material hankering; tūṣṇīm — silent; bhavet — one should become; nija — one's own (of the soul); sukha
— happiness; anubhavaḥ — perceiving; nirīhaḥ — without material activities; sandṛśyate — is observed;
kva ca — sometimes; yadi — if; idam — this material world; avastu — of not being reality; buddhyā — by
the consciousness; tyaktam — given up; bhramāya — further illusion; na — not; bhavet — may become;
smṛtiḥ — remembrance; ā-nipātāt — until giving up the material body.

TRANSLATION
Having understood the temporary illusory nature of material things, and thus having pulled one's vision
away from illusion, one should remain without material desires. By experiencing the happiness of the
soul, one should give up material speaking and activities. If sometimes one must observe the material
world, one should remember that it is not ultimate reality and therefore one has given it up. By such
constant remembrance up till the time of death, one will not again fall into illusion.

PURPORT
To maintain the material body one cannot avoid eating and sleeping. In these and other ways, one will
sometimes be forced to deal with the material world and the physical aspects of one's own body. At such
times one should remember that the material world is not actual reality and that therefore one has given it
up to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. By such constant remembrance, by enjoying spiritual bliss within oneself
and by retiring from any material activities of the mind, speech or body, one will not fall into material
illusion.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura comments as follows. "The living entity, while living in the external
energy of the Lord, should give up any anxiety for sense gratification and should not act for his personal
enjoyment. Rather, one should search out spiritual bliss through devotional service to the Supreme Lord. By
reviving one's relationship with Lord Kṛṣṇa, one will understand that if one accepts any material object for
one's personal enjoyment, attachment will inevitably develop, and thus one will be bewildered by illusion.
By gradually developing one's spiritual body, one will no longer desire to enjoy anything within the material
world."

SB 11.13.36
dehaḿ ca naśvaram avasthitam utthitaḿ vā
siddho na paśyati yato 'dhyagamat svarūpam
daivād apetam atha daiva-vaśād upetaḿ
vāso yathā parikṛtaḿ madirā-madāndhaḥ

SYNONYMS
deham — the material body; ca — also; naśvaram — to be destroyed; avasthitam — seated; utthitam —
risen; vā — or; siddhaḥ — one who is perfect; na paśyati — does not see; yataḥ — because; adhyagamat —
he has achieved; sva-rūpam — his actual spiritual identity; daivāt — by destiny; apetam — departed; atha
— or thus; daiva — of destiny; vaśāt — by the control; upetam — achieved; vāsaḥ — clothes; yathā — just
as; parikṛtam — placed on the body; madirā — of liquor; mada — by the intoxication; andhaḥ — blinded.

TRANSLATION
Just as a drunken man does not notice if he is wearing his coat or shirt, similarly, one who is perfect in
self-realization and who has thus achieved his eternal identity does not notice whether the temporary
body is sitting or standing. Indeed, if by God's will the body is finished or if by God's will he obtains a new
body, a self-realized soul does not notice, just as a drunken man does not notice the situation of his
outward dress.

PURPORT
 A Kṛṣṇa conscious person who has achieved his spiritual identity does not accept sense gratification in the
material world as the goal of his life. He is constantly engaged in the service of the Lord and knows that the
temporary body and flickering mind are material. By superior intelligence in Kṛṣṇa consciousness he
remains engaged in the Lord's service. The example of a drunken man in this verse is very nice. It is
common knowledge that at mundane social gatherings men become drunk and lose all awareness of their
external situation. Similarly, a liberated soul has already achieved his spiritual body and therefore knows
that his continued existence does not depend on the material body. A liberated soul does not, however,
inflict punishment on the body but rather remains neutral, naturally accepting his destiny as the will of the
Supreme.

SB 11.13.37
deho 'pi daiva-vaśa-gaḥ khalu karma yāvat
svārambhakaḿ pratisamīkṣata eva sāsuḥ
taḿ sa-prapañcam adhirūḍha-samādhi-yogaḥ
svāpnaḿ punar na bhajate pratibuddha-vastuḥ

SYNONYMS
dehaḥ — the body; api — even; daiva — of the Supreme; vaśa-gaḥ — under the control; khalu — indeed;
karma — the chain of fruitive activities; yāvat — as long as; sva-ārambhakam — that which initiates or
perpetuates itself; pratisamīkṣate — goes on living and waiting; eva — certainly; sa-asuḥ — along with the
vital air and senses; tam — that (body); sa-prapañcam — with its variety of manifestations; adhirūḍha —
highly situated; samādhi — the stage of perfection; yogaḥ — in the yoga system; svāpnam — just like a
dream; punaḥ — again; na bhajate — does not worship or cultivate; pratibuddha — one who is
enlightened; vastuḥ — in the supreme reality.

TRANSLATION
The material body certainly moves under the control of supreme destiny and therefore must continue to
live along with the senses and vital air as long as one's karma is in effect. A self-realized soul, however,
who is awakened to the absolute reality and who is thus highly situated in the perfect stage of yoga, will
never again surrender to the material body and its manifold manifestations, knowing it to be just like a
body visualized in a dream.

PURPORT
Although Lord Kṛṣṇa recommended in the previous verse that a self-realized soul not give attention to the
body, it is clear from the Lord's statement here that one should not foolishly starve or injure the body, but
should patiently wait until the chain of one's previous fruitive work has completely exhausted itself. At that
time the body will automatically die according to destiny. The following doubt may then arise: If a Kṛṣṇa
conscious person pays proper attention to the maintenance of the body, is there danger of again becoming
attached to it? Lord Kṛṣṇa here states that one who is highly elevated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, having
understood Lord Kṛṣṇa to be the actual vastu, or reality, never again surrenders to the illusory identification
with the material body, which is just like the body seen in a dream.

SB 11.13.38
mayaitad uktaḿ vo viprā guhyaḿ yat sāńkhya-yogayoḥ
jānīta māgataḿ yajñaḿ yuṣmad-dharma-vivakṣayā

SYNONYMS
mayā — by Me; etat — this (knowledge); uktam — has been spoken; vaḥ — unto you; viprāḥ — O
brāhmaṇas; guhyam — confidential; yat — which; sāńkhya — of the philosophical method of distinguishing
matter from spirit; yogayoḥ — and the aṣṭāńga-yoga system; jānīta — please understand; mā — Me;
āgatam — who has arrived; yajñam — as Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord of sacrifice; yuṣmat — your; dharma —
religious duties; vivakṣayā — with the desire to explain.

TRANSLATION
My dear brāhmaṇas, I have now explained to you the confidential knowledge of Sāńkhya, by which one
philosophically distinguishes matter from spirit, and of aṣṭāńga-yoga, by which one links up with the
 Supreme. Please understand that I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, and that I have
appeared before you desiring to explain your actual religious duties.

PURPORT
To increase the faith of Lord Brahmā's sons and establish the prestige of His teachings, Lord Kṛṣṇa now
formally identifies Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu. As stated in Vedic literature,
yajño vai viṣṇuḥ. After explaining the sāńkhya-and aṣṭāńga-yoga systems, the Lord clearly answers the
original question of the sages, "Who are You, sir?" Thus, Lord Brahmā and his sons were enlightened by
Lord Haḿsa.

SB 11.13.39
ahaḿ yogasya sāńkhyasya satyasyartasya tejasaḥ
parāyaṇaḿ dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ śriyaḥ kīrter damasya ca
SYNONYMS
aham — I; yogasya — of the yoga system; sāńkhyasya — of the system of analytic philosophy; satyasya —
of virtuous action; ṛtasya — of truthful religious principles; tejasaḥ — of power; para-ayanam — the
ultimate shelter; dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ — O best of the brāhmaṇas; śriyaḥ — of beauty; kīrteḥ — of fame;
damasya — of self-control; ca — also.

TRANSLATION
O best of the brāhmaṇas, please know that I am the supreme shelter of the yoga system, analytic
philosophy, virtuous action, truthful religious principles, power, beauty, fame and self-control.

PURPORT
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the synonymous words satyasya and ṛtasya refer to, respectively, the
proper or virtuous execution of religious principles and a convincing presentation of religion. Śrīla
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura points out that the sons of Brahmā were struck with wonder at the
presentation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and were thinking, "What wonderful knowledge we
have just heard." The Lord, recognizing their astonishment, spoke this verse to confirm their understanding
of Him.

SB 11.13.40
māḿ bhajanti guṇāḥ sarve nirguṇaḿ nirapekṣakam
suhṛdaḿ priyam ātmānaḿ sāmyāsańgādayo 'guṇāḥ

SYNONYMS
mām — Me; bhajanti — serve and take shelter of; guṇāḥ — qualities; sarve — all; nirguṇam — free from
the modes of nature; nirapekṣakam — detached; su-hṛdam — the well-wisher; priyam — the most dear;
ātmānam — the Supersoul; sāmya — being equally situated everywhere; asańga — detachment; ādayaḥ
— and so on; aguṇāḥ — free from the transformation of the material modes.

TRANSLATION
All superior transcendental qualities, such as being beyond the modes of nature, detached, the well-
wisher, the most dear, the Supersoul, equally situated everywhere, and free from material entanglement
— all such qualities, free from the transformations of material qualities, find their shelter and
worshipable object in Me.

PURPORT
Because in the previous verse Lord Kṛṣṇa explained His exalted nature, the sons of Brahmā might have
slightly doubted the Lord's position, thinking that they had detected some pride within the Lord's mind.
Therefore, they may have doubted the instructions they had just received from Lord Haḿsa. Anticipating
any such reluctance, the Lord immediately clarifies the situation in the present verse. The Lord explains
that, unlike ordinary living entities even up to the standard of Brahmā, the Lord's transcendental body is
not different from His eternal Self and has no material qualities such as false egotism. The Lord's
transcendental form is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss, and is thus nirguṇam, beyond the modes of
nature. Because the Lord completely ignores the so-called enjoyment offered by the illusory energy, He is
called nirapekṣakam, and being the best well-wisher of His devotees, He is called suhṛdam. Priyam indicates
 that the Lord is the supreme lovable object and that He establishes wonderful affectionate relationships
with His devotees. Sāmya indicates that the Lord is neutral and detached in all material situations. These
and other exalted qualities find their shelter and worshipable object in the Lord, who does not take
material designations into consideration but awards His mercy to anyone who takes shelter of Him. In
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.16.26-30) mother Bhūmi, the predominating deity of the earth, gives a list of some
of the Lord's transcendental qualities, and even more are found in The Nectar of Devotion. Actually, the
Lord's qualities are unlimited, but a small sample is given here simply to establish the Lord's transcendental
position.
Śrīla Madhvācārya has quoted from the Kāla-saḿhitā as follows. "The demigods are not actually perfectly
endowed with transcendental qualities. Indeed, their opulences are limited, and therefore they worship the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, who is simultaneously free of all material qualities
and completely endowed with all transcendental qualities, which exist in His personal body."

SB 11.13.41
iti me chinna-sandehā munayaḥ sanakādayaḥ
sabhājayitvā parayā bhaktyāgṛṇata saḿstavaiḥ

SYNONYMS
iti — thus; me — by Me; chinna — destroyed; sandehāḥ — all their doubts; munayaḥ — the sages; sanaka-
ādayaḥ — headed by Sanaka-kumāra; sabhājayitvā — fully worshiping Me; parayā — characterized by
transcendental love; bhaktyā — with devotion; agṛṇata — they chanted My glories; saḿstavaiḥ — with
beautiful hymns.

TRANSLATION
[Lord Kṛṣṇa continued:l My dear Uddhava, thus all of the doubts of the sages headed by Sanaka were
destroyed by My words. Fully worshiping Me with transcendental love and devotion, they chanted My
glories with excellent hymns.

SB 11.13.42
tair ahaḿ pūjitaḥ saḿyak
saḿstutaḥ paramarṣibhiḥ
pratyeyāya svakaḿ dhāma
paśyataḥ parameṣṭhinaḥ

SYNONYMS
taiḥ — by them; aham — I; pūjitaḥ — worshiped; saḿyak — perfectly; saḿstutaḥ — perfectly glorified;
parama-ṛṣibhiḥ — by the greatest of sages; pratyeyāya — I returned; svakam — to My own; dhāma —
abode; paśyataḥ parameṣṭhinaḥ — as Lord Brahmā looked on.

TRANSLATION
The greatest of sages, headed by Sanaka Ṛṣi, thus perfectly worshiped and glorified Me, and as Lord
Brahmā looked on, I returned to My own abode.
 Chapter 14: Lord Kṛṣṇa Explains the Yoga System to Śrī Uddhava

SB 11.14.1
śrī-uddhava uvāca
vadanti kṛṣṇa śreyāḿsi bahūni brahma-vādinaḥ
teṣāḿ vikalpa-prādhānyam utāho eka-mukhyatā

SYNONYMS
śrī-uddhavaḥ uvāca — Śrī Uddhava said; vadanti — they speak; kṛṣṇa — my dear Kṛṣṇa; śreyāḿsi —
processes for advancement in life; bahūni — many; brahma-vādinaḥ — the learned sages who have
explained the Vedic literature; teṣām — of all such processes; vikalpa — of varieties of perception;
prādhānyam — supremacy; uta — or; aho — indeed; eka — of one; mukhyatā — being most important.

TRANSLATION
Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Kṛṣṇa, the learned sages who explain Vedic literature recommend various
processes for perfecting one's life. Considering these varieties of viewpoint, my Lord, please tell me
whether all these processes are equally important, or whether one of them is supreme.

PURPORT
In order to clearly establish the exalted position of bhakti-yoga, or pure devotional service to the Supreme
Lord, Śrī Uddhava requests Lord Kṛṣṇa to identify the supreme among all processes of self-realization. Not
all Vedic processes lead directly to the ultimate goal, pure love of God; some only gradually elevate the
consciousness of the living entity. For the purpose of giving a general outline of the process of self-
realization, sages may discuss the various methods of elevation. But when the time comes to ascertain the
most perfect process, the secondary methods must be cleared from the path.

SB 11.14.2
bhavatodāhṛtaḥ svāmin bhakti-yogo 'napekṣitaḥ
nirasya sarvataḥ sańgaḿ yena tvayy āviśen manaḥ

SYNONYMS
bhavatā — by You; udāhṛtaḥ — clearly stated; svāmin — O my Lord; bhakti-yogaḥ — devotional service;
anapekṣitaḥ — without material desires; nirasya — removing; sarvataḥ — in all respects; sańgam —
material association; yena — by which (devotional service); tvayi — in Your Lordship; āviśet — may enter;
manaḥ — the mind.

TRANSLATION
My dear Lord, You have clearly explained the process of unalloyed devotional service, by which a
devotee removes all material association from his life, enabling him to fix his mind on You.

PURPORT
It is now clearly established that pure devotional service is the supreme process for fixing the mind in the
Supreme Truth, Lord Kṛṣṇa. The next point to be clarified is this: Can everyone practice this process, or is it
 limited to an elite class of transcendentalists? In discussing the relative advantages of different spiritual
processes, one must immediately ascertain the goal of spiritual life and then isolate the process that
actually awards this goal. Processes must be defined in terms of primary and secondary functions. A
method that gives one the highest perfection is primary, whereas processes that merely assist or enhance
the primary function are considered secondary. The mind is most flickering and unsteady; therefore by
clear intelligence one must fix oneself in a progressive mode of life, and thus one can achieve the Absolute
Truth in this lifetime. This is the sober purpose of Lord Kṛṣṇa's conversation with Śrī Uddhava.

SB 11.14.3
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
kālena naṣṭā pralaye vāṇīyaḿ veda-saḿjñitā
mayādau brahmaṇe proktā dharmo yasyāḿ mad-ātmakaḥ

SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; kālena — by the influence of time; naṣṭā
— lost; pralaye — at the time of annihilation; vāṇī — message; iyam — this; veda-saḿjñitā — consisting of
the Vedas; mayā — by Me; ādau — at the time of creation; brahmaṇe — unto Lord Brahmā; proktā —
spoken; dharmaḥ — religious principles; yasyām — in which; mat-ātmakaḥ — identical with Me.

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: By the influence of time, the transcendental sound of Vedic
knowledge was lost at the time of annihilation. Therefore, when the subsequent creation took place, I
spoke the Vedic knowledge to Brahmā because I Myself am the religious principles enunciated in the
Vedas.

PURPORT
Lord Kṛṣṇa explains to Uddhava that although many processes and concepts of spiritual realization are
described in the Vedas, the Vedas ultimately recommend devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Lord
Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all pleasure, and His devotees directly enter into the Lord's hlādinī, or pleasure-
giving, potency. Somehow or other one must fix one's mind in Lord Kṛṣṇa, and that is not possible without
devotional service. One who has not developed his attraction to Lord Kṛṣṇa cannot restrain the senses from
inferior engagements. Since other Vedic processes do not actually award Lord Kṛṣṇa to the practitioner,
they cannot offer the highest benefit in life. The transcendental sound of the Vedas is itself the highest
evidence, but one whose senses and mind are entangled in sense gratification and mental speculation, and
whose heart is therefore covered by material dust, cannot directly receive the transcendental Vedic
message. Thus one cannot appreciate the exalted position of devotional service to the Lord.

SB 11.14.4
tena proktā sva-putrāya manave pūrva-jāya sā
tato bhṛgv-ādayo 'gṛhṇan sapta brahma-maharṣayaḥ

SYNONYMS
tena — by Brahmā; proktā — spoken; sva-putrāya — to his son; manave — to Manu; pūrva-jāya — the
oldest; sā — that Vedic knowledge; tataḥ — from Manu; bhṛgu-ādayaḥ — those headed by Bhṛgu Muni;
agṛhṇan — accepted; sapta — seven; brahma — in Vedic literature; mahā-ṛṣayaḥ — most learned sages.

TRANSLATION
Lord Brahmā spoke this Vedic knowledge to his eldest son, Manu, and the seven great sages headed by
Bhṛgu Muni then accepted the same knowledge from Manu.

PURPORT
Everyone engages in a certain way of life based on one's own nature and propensities. Bhakti-yoga is the
natural activity of one whose nature is completely purified by association with the Supreme Lord. Other
processes are meant for those whose nature is still affected by the material modes, and thus such
processes, along with their results, are themselves also materially contaminated. Devotional service to the
Lord, however, is a pure spiritual process, and by executing it with a pure consciousness one comes directly
in touch with the Personality of Godhead, who describes Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (9.2) as pavitram idam
uttamam, the supreme pure. The system of paramparā, or disciplic succession, is illustrated in this and the
previous verse. The spiritual masters in Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement are part of such a disciplic
succession, and through them the same Vedic knowledge spoken by Brahmā to Manu is still available.

SB 11.14.5-7
tebhyaḥ pitṛbhyas tat-putrā deva-dānava-guhyakāḥ
manuṣyāḥ siddha-gandharvāḥ sa-vidyādhara-cāraṇāḥ
kindevāḥ kinnarā nāgā rakṣaḥ-kimpuruṣādayaḥ
bahvyas teṣāḿ prakṛtayo rajaḥ-sattva-tamo-bhuvaḥ
yābhir bhūtāni bhidyante bhūtānāḿ patayas tathā
yathā-prakṛti sarveṣāḿ citrā vācaḥ sravanti hi

SYNONYMS
tebhyaḥ — from them (Bhṛgu Muni, etc.); pitṛbhyaḥ — from the forefathers; tat — their; putrāḥ — sons,
descendants; deva — the demigods; dānava — demons; guhyakāḥ — the Guhyakas; manuṣyāḥ — human
beings; siddha-gandharvāḥ — Siddhas and Gandharvas; sa-vidyādhara-cāraṇāḥ — along with Vidyādharas
and Cāraṇas; kindevāḥ — a different human species; kinnarāḥ — half-humans; nāgāḥ — snakes; rakṣaḥ —
demons; kimpuruṣa — an advanced race of monkeys; ādayaḥ — and so on; bahvyaḥ — many different;
teṣām — of such living entities; prakṛtayaḥ — desires or natures; rajaḥ-sattva-tamaḥ-bhuvaḥ — being
generated from the three modes of material nature; yābhiḥ — by such material desires or tendencies;
bhūtāni — all such living entities; bhidyante — appear divided in many material forms; bhūtānām — and
their; patayaḥ — leaders; tathā — divided in the same way; yathā-prakṛti — according to propensity or
desire; sarveṣām — of all of them; citrāḥ — variegated; vācaḥ — Vedic rituals and mantras; sravanti —
flow down; hi — certainly.

TRANSLATION
From the forefathers headed by Bhṛgu Muni and other sons of Brahmā appeared many children and
descendants, who assumed different forms as demigods, demons, human beings, Guhyakas, Siddhas,
Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, Cāraṇas, Kindevas, Kinnaras, Nāgas, Kimpuruṣas, and so on. All of the many
universal species, along with their respective leaders, appeared with different natures and desires
generated from the three modes of material nature. Therefore, because of the different characteristics of
the living entities within the universe, there are a great many Vedic rituals, mantras and rewards.

PURPORT
If one is curious why Vedic literatures recommend so many different methods of worship and
advancement, the answer is given here. Bhṛgu, Marīci, Atri, Ańgirā, Pulastya, Pulaha and Kratu are the
seven great brāhmaṇa sages and forefathers of this universe. The Kindevas are a race of human beings who
are, like the demigods, completely free from fatigue, sweat and body odor. Seeing them, one may thus ask,
kiḿ devāḥ: "Are they demigods?" Actually, they are human beings living on another planet within the
universe. The Kinnaras are so called because they are kiñcin narāḥ, or "a little like human beings." The
Kinnaras have either a human head or human body (but not both) combined with a nonhuman form. The
Kimpuruṣas are so called because they resemble human beings and thus prompt the question kiḿ
puruṣāḥ: "Are these human beings?" Actually, they are a race of monkeys who are almost like human
beings.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura explains that this verse describes the varieties of forgetfulness of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The different Vedic mantras and rituals are especially meant for the
different species of intelligent beings throughout the universe; but this proliferation of Vedic formulas
indicates only the variety of material illusion and not a variety of ultimate purpose. The ultimate purpose of
the many Vedic injunctions is one — to know and love the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord
Himself is emphatically explaining this to Śrī Uddhava.

SB 11.14.8
evaḿ prakṛti-vaicitryād bhidyante matayo nṛṇām
pāramparyeṇa keṣāñcit pāṣaṇḍa-matayo 'pare
 SYNONYMS
evam — thus; prakṛti — of nature or desires; vaicitryāt — due to the great variety; bhidyante — are
divided; matayaḥ — philosophies of life; nṛṇām — among human beings; pāramparyeṇa — by tradition or
disciplic succession; keṣāñcit — among some people; pāṣaṇḍa — atheistic; matayaḥ — philosophies; apare
— others.

TRANSLATION
Thus, due to the great variety of desires and natures among human beings, there are many different
theistic philosophies of life, which are handed down through tradition, custom and disciplic succession.
There are other teachers who directly support atheistic viewpoints.

PURPORT
The word keṣāñcit refers to those persons in various parts of the world who are ignorant of the Vedic
conclusion and thus concoct many unauthorized and ultimately fruitless philosophies of life. Pāṣaṇḍa-
matayaḥ refers to those who directly oppose the Vedic conclusion. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has
given a most interesting example, as follows. The water of the Ganges is always pure and very sweet. On
the banks of that great river, however, there are several types of poisonous trees whose roots drink up the
Ganges water from the soil and use it to produce poisonous fruits. Similarly, those who are atheistic or
demoniac utilize their association with Vedic knowledge to produce the poisonous fruits of atheistic or
materialistic philosophy.

SB 11.14.9
man-māyā-mohita-dhiyaḥ puruṣāḥ puruṣarṣabha
śreyo vadanty anekāntaḿ yathā-karma yathā-ruci

SYNONYMS
mat-mayā — by My illusory potency; mohita — bewildered; dhiyaḥ — those whose intelligence; puruṣāḥ
— people; puruṣa-ṛṣabha — O best among men; śreyaḥ — what is good for people; vadanti — they speak;
aneka-antam — in innumerable ways; yathā-karma — according to their own activities; yathā-ruci —
according to what pleases them.

TRANSLATION
O best among men, the intelligence of human beings is bewildered by My illusory potency, and thus,
according to their own activities and whims, they speak in innumerable ways about what is actually good
for people.

PURPORT
Unlike the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the individual living entity is not omniscient, therefore his
activities and pleasures do not represent the whole truth. According to one's individual way of doing things
(yathā-karma) and one's personal preference (yathā-ruci), one speaks to others about what is good for
them. Everyone thinks, "What is good for me is good for everyone." Actually, the best thing for everyone is
to surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, and thus realize one's eternal nature of
bliss and knowledge. Without knowledge of the Absolute Truth, many so-called learned people are
whimsically advising other whimsical people who also lack perfect knowledge of the actual goal of life.

SB 11.14.10
dharmam eke yaśaś cānye kāmaḿ satyaḿ damaḿ śamam
anye vadanti svārthaḿ vā aiśvaryaḿ tyāga-bhojanam
kecid yajñaḿ tapo dānaḿ vratāni niyamān yamān

SYNONYMS
dharmam — pious activities; eke — some people; yaśaḥ — fame; ca — also; anye — others; kāmam —
sense gratification; satyam — truthfulness; damam — self-control; śamam — peacefulness; anye — others;
vadanti — propound; sva-artham — pursuing one's self-interest; vai — certainly; aiśvaryam — opulence or
political influence; tyāga — renunciation; bhojanam — consumption; kecit — some people; yajñam —
sacrifice; tapaḥ — austerity; dānam — charity; vratāni — taking vows; niyamān — regular religious duties;
yamān — strict regulative discipline.
 TRANSLATION
Some say that people will be happy by performing pious religious activities. Others say that happiness is
attained through fame, sense gratification, truthfulness, self-control, peace, self-interest, political
influence, opulence, renunciation, consumption, sacrifice, penance, charity, vows, regulated duties or
strict disciplinary regulation. Each process has its proponents.

PURPORT
Dharmam eke refers to those atheistic philosophers called karma-mīmāḿsakas, who state that one should
not waste time worrying about a kingdom of God that no one has ever seen and from which no one has
ever returned; rather, one should expertly utilize the laws of karma, performing fruitive activities in such a
way that one will always be well situated. Concerning fame, it is said that as long as the fame of a human
being is sung in the pious planets, he may live for thousands of years in material heaven. Kāmam refers to
Vedic texts like the Kāma-sūtra as well as millions of modern books that advise one about sex pleasure.
Some people state that the highest virtue in life is honesty; others say it is self-control, peace of mind and
so on. Each viewpoint has proponents and "scriptures." Others say that law, order and morality are the
highest good, whereas still others propose political influence as the real self-interest of human beings.
Some state that one should give away one's material possessions to the needy; others state that one
should try to enjoy this life as far as possible; and others recommend daily rituals, disciplinary vows,
penances, and so on.

SB 11.14.11
ādy-anta-vanta evaiṣāḿ lokāḥ karma-vinirmitāḥ
duḥkhodarkās tamo-niṣṭhāḥ kṣudrā mandāḥ śucārpitāḥ

SYNONYMS
ādi-anta-vantaḥ — possessing a beginning and end; eva — undoubtedly; eṣām — of them (the
materialistic); lokāḥ — achieved destinations; karma — by one's material work; vinirmitāḥ — produced;
duḥkha — misery; udarkāḥ — bringing as the future result; tamaḥ — ignorance; niṣṭhāḥ — situated in;
kṣudrāḥ — meager; mandāḥ — wretched; śucā — with lamentation; arpitāḥ — filled.

TRANSLATION
All the persons I have just mentioned obtain temporary fruits from their material work. Indeed, the
meager and miserable situations they achieve bring future unhappiness and are based on ignorance.
Even while enjoying the fruits of their work, such persons are filled with lamentation.

PURPORT
Those who have grasped temporary material things, mistaking them to be ultimate reality, are not
considered very intelligent by anyone except themselves. Such foolish persons are always in anxiety
because by the laws of nature the very fruits of their work are constantly being transformed in ways neither
desired nor expected. The performer of Vedic rituals can elevate himself to heavenly planets, whereas one
who is atheistic has the privilege of transferring himself to hell. The entire panorama of material existence
is actually uninteresting and dull (mandāḥ). One can make no real progress within the material world;
therefore one should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and prepare oneself to go back home, back to Godhead.

SB 11.14.12
mayy arpitātmanaḥ sabhya nirapekṣasya sarvataḥ
mayātmanā sukhaḿ yat tat kutaḥ syād viṣayātmanām

SYNONYMS
mayi — in Me; arpita — fixed; ātmanaḥ — of one whose consciousness; sabhya — O learned Uddhava;
nirapekṣasya — of one bereft of material desires; sarvataḥ — in all respects; mayā — with Me; ātmanā —
with the Supreme Personality of Godhead or with one's own spiritual body; sukham — happiness; yat tat —
such; kutaḥ — how; syāt — could it be; viṣaya — in material sense gratification; ātmanām — of those who
are attached.

TRANSLATION
O learned Uddhava, those who fix their consciousness on Me, giving up all material desires, share with
Me a happiness that cannot possibly be experienced by those engaged in sense gratification.

PURPORT
The actual purport of Vedic knowledge is explained in this verse. The word viṣayātmanām includes those
who are cultivating material peace of mind, self-control and speculative philosophy. But even if such
persons rise to the platform of sattva-guṇa, the mode of goodness, they do not attain perfection, because
sattva-guṇa, being material, is also part and parcel of māyā, or illusion. As stated by Śrī Nārada Muni,
kiḿ vā yogena sāńkhyena nyāsa-svādhyāyayor api
kiḿ vā śreyobhir anyaiś ca na yatrātma-prado hariḥ
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not inclined to award Himself even to one who executes the yoga
system, speculative philosophy, the renounced order of life or Vedic studies. Indeed, no so-called materially
auspicious process can induce the Lord to reveal Himself." (Bhāg. 4.31.12) According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī,
one enjoys the happiness spoken of in this verse while associating, in one's own spiritual body, with the
supreme transcendental form of the Lord. The Lord's transcendental form is filled with infinite, wonderful
qualities, and the happiness of being with the Lord is unlimited. Unfortunately, materialistic people cannot
possibly imagine such happiness, since they are not at all inclined to love the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.

SB 11.14.13
akiñcanasya dāntasya śāntasya sama-cetasaḥ
mayā santuṣṭa-manasaḥ sarvāḥ sukha-mayā diśaḥ

SYNONYMS
akiñcanasya — of one who does not desire anything; dāntasya — whose senses are controlled; śāntasya —
peaceful; sama-cetasaḥ — whose consciousness is equal everywhere; mayā — with Me; santuṣṭa —
completely satisfied; manasaḥ — whose mind; sarvāḥ — all; sukha-mayāḥ — full of happiness; diśaḥ —
directions.

TRANSLATION
One who does not desire anything within this world, who has achieved peace by controlling his senses,
whose consciousness is equal in all conditions and whose mind is completely satisfied in Me finds only
happiness wherever he goes.

PURPORT
A devotee who is always meditating upon Lord Kṛṣṇa experiences transcendental sound, touch, form, flavor
and aroma in the pastimes of the Lord. These sublime perceptions are certainly due to the causeless mercy
of Lord Kṛṣṇa upon one whose mind and senses are completely satisfied in Him. Such a person finds only
happiness wherever he goes. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura gives the example that when a very
wealthy man travels all over the world, at every place he stays he always enjoys the same luxurious
standard of comfort. Similarly, one who has developed Kṛṣṇa consciousness is never separated from
happiness, because Lord Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading. The word kiñcana indicates the so-called enjoyable things of
this world. One who is akiñcana has correctly understood that material sense gratification is simply the
glare of illusion, and therefore such a person is dāntasya, or self-controlled, śāntasya, or peaceful, and
mayā santuṣṭa-manasaḥ, or completely satisfied with his transcendental experience of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.

SB 11.14.14
na pārameṣṭhyaḿ na mahendra-dhiṣṇyaḿ
na sārvabhaumaḿ na rasādhipatyam
na yoga-siddhīr apunar-bhavaḿ vā
mayy arpitātmecchati mad vinānyat
 SYNONYMS
na — not; pārameṣṭhyam — the position or abode of Lord Brahmā; na — never; mahā-indra-dhiṣṇyam —
the position of Lord Indra; na — neither; sārvabhaumam — empire on the earth; na — nor; rasa-
ādhipatyam — sovereignty in the lower planetary systems; na — never; yoga-siddhīḥ — the eightfold yoga
perfections; apunaḥ-bhavam — liberation; vā — nor; mayi — in Me; arpita — fixed; ātmā — consciousness;
icchati — he desires; mat — Me; vinā — without; anyat — anything else.

TRANSLATION
One who has fixed his consciousness on Me desires neither the position or abode of Lord Brahmā or Lord
Indra, nor an empire on the earth, nor sovereignty in the lower planetary systems, nor the eightfold
perfection of yoga, nor liberation from birth and death. Such a person desires Me alone.

PURPORT
The position of the akiñcana pure devotee is described in this verse. Śrī Priyavrata Mahārāja is an example
of a great devotee who was not interested in universal sovereignty because his love was completely
absorbed in the lotus feet of the Lord. Even the greatest material enjoyment appears most insignificant and
useless to a pure devotee of the Lord.

SB 11.14.15
na tathā me priyatama ātma-yonir na śańkaraḥ
na ca sańkarṣaṇo na śrīr naivātmā ca yathā bhavān

SYNONYMS
na — not; tathā — in the same way; me — to Me; priya-tamaḥ — most dear; ātma-yoniḥ — Lord Brahmā,
who is born from My body; na — nor; sańkaraḥ — Lord Śiva; na — nor; ca — also; sańkarṣaṇaḥ — My
direct expansion Lord Sańkarṣaṇa; na — nor; śrīḥ — the goddess of fortune; na — nor; eva — certainly;
ātmā — My own self as the Deity; ca — also; yathā — as much as; bhavān — you.

TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, neither Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Lord Sańkarṣaṇa, the goddess of fortune nor indeed
My own self are as dear to Me as you are.

PURPORT
The Lord has described in the previous verses the unalloyed love of His pure devotees for Him, and now the
Lord describes His love for His devotees. Ātma-yoni means Lord Brahmā, who is born directly from the
Lord's body. Lord Śiva always gives great pleasure to Lord Kṛṣṇa by his constant meditation upon Him, and
Sańkarṣaṇa, or Balarāma, is the Lord's brother in kṛṣṇa-līlā. The goddess of fortune is the Lord's wife, and
the word ātmā here indicates the Lord's own self as the Deity. None of these personalities — even the
Lord's own self — are as dear to Him as His pure devotee Uddhava, an akiñcana devotee of the Lord. Śrīla
Madhvācārya cites from Vedic literature the example that a gentleman sometimes neglects his own interest
and that of his children to give charity to a poor beggar. Similarly, the Lord gives preference to a helpless
devotee who depends completely on His mercy. The only way to obtain the Lord's mercy is through His
causeless love, and the Lord is most lovingly inclined toward those devotees who are most dependent on
Him, just as ordinary mothers and fathers worry more about their helpless children than about those who
are self-sufficient. Thus even if one lacks any material qualification, one should simply depend upon the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, without any other interest, and surely one will achieve the highest
perfection of life.

SB 11.14.16
nirapekṣaḿ muniḿ śāntaḿ nirvairaḿ sama-darśanam
anuvrajāmy ahaḿ nityaḿ pūyeyety ańghri-reṇubhiḥ

SYNONYMS
nirapekṣam — without personal desire; munim — always thinking of assisting Me in My pastimes; śāntam
— peaceful; nirvairam — not inimical to anyone; sama-darśanam — equal consciousness everywhere;
anuvrajāmi — follow; aham — I; nityam — always; pūyeya — I may be purified (I will purify the universe
within Me); iti — thus; ańghri — of the lotus feet; reṇubhiḥ — by the dust.
 TRANSLATION
With the dust of My devotees' lotus feet I desire to purify the material worlds, which are situated within
Me. Thus, I always follow the footsteps of My pure devotees, who are free from all personal desire, rapt
in thought of My pastimes, peaceful, without any feelings of enmity, and of equal disposition
everywhere.

PURPORT
Just as the devotees always follow the footsteps of Lord Kṛṣṇa, similarly Lord Kṛṣṇa, being a devotee of His
devotees, follows the footsteps of His devotees. A pure servitor of the Lord is always meditating on the
pastimes of the Lord and considering how to assist the Lord in His mission. All the material universes are
situated in Śrī Kṛṣṇa's body, as demonstrated to Arjuna, mother Yaśodā and others. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore there is no question of impurity in the Lord. Still, the Lord
desires to purify the universes situated within Him by taking the dust of the lotus feet of His pure devotees.
Without the dust of the lotus feet of the devotees, it is not possible to engage in pure devotional service,
without which one cannot directly experience transcendental bliss. Lord Kṛṣṇa thought, "I have established
this strict rule that one can enjoy My transcendental bliss only through devotional service obtained from
the dust of the lotus feet of My devotees. Since I also desire to experience My own bliss, I will observe the
standard procedure and accept the dust of My devotees' feet." Śrīla Madhvācārya points out that Lord
Kṛṣṇa follows the footsteps of His devotees in order to purify them. As the Lord walks along behind His pure
devotees, the wind blows the dust of the Lord's feet in the front of His devotees, who then become purified
by contact with such transcendental dust. One should not foolishly look for material logic in these
transcendental pastimes of the Lord. It is simply a question of love between the Lord and His devotees.

SB 11.14.17
niṣkiñcanā mayy anurakta-cetasaḥ
śāntā mahānto 'khila-jīva-vatsalāḥ
kāmair anālabdha-dhiyo juṣanti te
yan nairapekṣyaḿ na viduḥ sukhaḿ mama

SYNONYMS
niṣkiñcanāḥ — without any desire for sense gratification; mayi — in Me, the Supreme Lord; anurakta-
cetasaḥ — mind constantly attached; śāntāḥ — peaceful; mahāntaḥ — great souls without false ego;
akhila — to all; jīva — living entities; vatsalāḥ — affectionate well-wishers; kāmaiḥ — by opportunities for
sense gratification; anālabdha — untouched and unaffected; dhiyaḥ — whose consciousness; juṣanti —
experience; te — they; yat — which; nairapekṣyam — achieved only by complete detachment; na viduḥ —
they do not know; sukham — happiness; mama — My.

TRANSLATION
Those who are without any desire for personal gratification, whose minds are always attached to Me,
who are peaceful, without false ego and merciful to all living entities, and whose consciousness is never
affected by opportunities for sense gratification — such persons enjoy in Me a happiness that cannot be
known or achieved by those lacking such detachment from the material world.

PURPORT
The pure devotees always experience transcendental bliss in their service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the reservoir of
pleasure; thus they are completely detached from material pleasure and do not desire even liberation.
Since all others have some personal desire, they cannot experience such happiness. Pure devotees always
desire to give Kṛṣṇa conscious happiness to all others, and therefore they are called mahāntaḥ, or great
souls. In the course of a devotee's service, many opportunities for sense gratification arise, but a pure
devotee is not tempted or attracted and does not fall down from his exalted transcendental position.

SB 11.14.18
bādhyamāno 'pi mad-bhakto viṣayair ajitendriyaḥ
prāyaḥ pragalbhayā bhaktyā viṣayair nābhibhūyate

SYNONYMS
 bādhyamānaḥ — being harassed; api — even though; mat-bhaktaḥ — My devotee; viṣayaiḥ — by the
sense objects; ajita — without having conquered; indriyaḥ — the senses; prāyaḥ — generally; pragalbhayā
— effective and strong; bhaktyā — by devotion; viṣayaiḥ — by sense gratification; na — not; abhibhūyate —
is defeated.

TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, if My devotee has not fully conquered his senses, he may be harassed by material
desires, but because of his unflinching devotion for Me, he will not be defeated by sense gratification.

PURPORT
Abhibhūyate indicates falling down into the material world and being defeated by māyā. But even though
one's senses are not fully conquered, one who has unflinching devotion for Lord Kṛṣṇa does not run the risk
of being separated from Him. The words pragalbhayā bhaktyā indicate a person who has great devotion for
Lord Kṛṣṇa, and not one who desires to commit sinful activities and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa to avoid the reaction.
Because of previous bad habits and immaturity, even a sincere devotee may be harassed by lingering
attraction to the bodily concept of life; but his unflinching devotion for Lord Kṛṣṇa will act. Śrīla Viśvanātha
Cakravartī Ṭhākura gives the following two examples. A great warrior may be struck by the weapon of his
enemy, but because of his courage and strength he is not killed or defeated. He accepts the blow and goes
on to victory. Similarly, one may contract a serious disease, but if he takes the proper medicine he is quickly
cured.
If those who follow the impersonal system of speculation and austerity deviate even slightly from their
path, they fall down. A devotee, however, even though immature, never falls from the path of devotional
service. Even if he displays occasional weakness, he is still considered a devotee if his devotion to Lord
Kṛṣṇa is very strong. As the Lord states in Bhagavad-gītā (9.30):
api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk
sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ
"Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be
considered saintly because he is properly situated."

SB 11.14.19
yathāgniḥ su-samṛddhārciḥ karoty edhāḿsi bhasmasāt
tathā mad-viṣayā bhaktir uddhavaināḿsi kṛtsnaśaḥ

SYNONYMS
yathā — just as; agniḥ — fire; su-samṛddha — blazing; arciḥ — whose flames; karoti — turns; edhāḿsi —
firewood; bhasma-sāt — into ashes; tathā — similarly; mat-viṣayā — with Me as the object; bhaktiḥ —
devotion; uddhava — O Uddhava; enāḿsi — sins; kṛtsnaśaḥ — completely.

TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, just as a blazing fire turns firewood into ashes, similarly, devotion unto Me completely
burns to ashes sins committed by My devotees.

PURPORT
One should carefully note that the Lord refers to devotion that is like a blazing fire. To commit sinful activity
on the strength of chanting the holy name is the greatest offense, and the devotion of one who commits
this offense cannot be compared to a blazing fire of love for Kṛṣṇa. As stated in the previous verse, a sincere
loving devotee, because of immaturity or previous bad habits, may be disturbed by his senses even though
he has accepted Lord Kṛṣṇa as the only goal in his life. But if even by chance the devotee accidentally falls
down without premeditation or indifference, the Lord immediately burns to ashes his sinful reactions, just
as a blazing fire immediately consumes an insignificant piece of wood. Lord Kṛṣṇa is glorious, and one who
takes exclusive shelter of the Lord receives the unique benefits of devotional service to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.

SB 11.14.20
na sādhayati māḿ yogo na sāńkhyaḿ dharma uddhava
na svādhyāyas tapas tyāgo yathā bhaktir mamorjitā
 SYNONYMS
na — not; sādhayati — brings under control; mām — Me; yogaḥ — the yoga system; na — nor; sāńkhyam
— the system of Sāńkhya philosophy; dharmaḥ — pious activities within the varṇāśrama system; uddhava
— My dear Uddhava; na — not; svādhyāyaḥ — Vedic study; tapaḥ — austerity; tyāgaḥ — renunciation;
yathā — as; bhaktiḥ — devotional service; mama — unto Me; ūrjitā — strongly developed.

TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, the unalloyed devotional service rendered to Me by My devotees brings Me under
their control. I cannot be thus controlled by those engaged in mystic yoga, Sāńkhya philosophy, pious
work, Vedic study, austerity or renunciation.

PURPORT
One may make Kṛṣṇa the goal of mystic yoga, Sāńkhya philosophy, etc.; yet such activities do not please the
Lord as much as direct loving service, which one practices by hearing and chanting about the Lord and
executing His mission. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī states, jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam: [Madhya 19.167] a devotee
should simply depend on Kṛṣṇa and should not unnecessarily complicate his loving service with tendencies
toward fruitive work or mental speculation. The residents of Vṛndāvana simply depend on Lord Kṛṣṇa.
When the great serpent Aghāsura appeared in the precincts of Vraja, the cowherd boys, completely
confident in their friendship with Lord Kṛṣṇa, fearlessly marched into the serpent's gigantic mouth. Such
pure love for Kṛṣṇa brings the Lord under the control of the devotee.

SB 11.14.21
bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ śraddhayātmā priyaḥ satām
bhaktiḥ punāti man-niṣṭhā śva-pākān api sambhavāt

SYNONYMS
bhaktyā — by devotional service; aham — I; ekayā — unalloyed; grāhyaḥ — am to be obtained; śraddhayā
— by faith; ātmā — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; priyaḥ — the object of love; satām — of the
devotees; bhaktiḥ — pure devotional service; punāti — purifies; mat-niṣṭhā — fixing Me as the only goal;
śva-pākān — dog-eaters; api — even; sambhavāt — from the contamination of low birth.

TRANSLATION
Only by practicing unalloyed devotional service with full faith in Me can one obtain Me, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. I am naturally dear to My devotees, who take Me as the only goal of their loving
service. By engaging in such pure devotional service, even the dog-eaters can purify themselves from the
contamination of their low birth.

PURPORT
Sambhavāt indicates jāti-doṣāt, or the pollution of low birth. Jāti-doṣa does not refer to mundane social,
economic or professional status, but rather to one's degree of spiritual enlightenment. All around the
world, many people are born into rich and powerful families, but they often acquire abominable habits that
are part of their so-called family tradition. However, even unfortunate persons who are taught from birth
to engage in sinful activities can at once be purified by the potency of pure devotional service. Such service
must have Lord Kṛṣṇa as the only goal (man-niṣṭhā), must be rendered with full faith (śraddhayā), and must
be unalloyed, or without any selfish motivation (ekayā).

SB 11.14.22
dharmaḥ satya-dayopeto vidyā vā tapasānvitā
mad-bhaktyāpetam ātmānaḿ na samyak prapunāti hi

SYNONYMS
dharmaḥ — religious principles; satya — with truthfulness; dayā — and mercy; upetaḥ — endowed; vidyā
— knowledge; vā — or; tapasā — with austerity; anvitā — endowed; mat-bhaktyā — devotional service to
Me; apetam — bereft of; ātmānam — consciousness; na — not; samyak — completely; prapunāti —
purifies; hi — certainly.

TRANSLATION
 Neither religious activities endowed with honesty and mercy nor knowledge obtained with great
penance can completely purify one's consciousness if they are bereft of loving service to Me.

PURPORT
Although pious religious work, truthfulness, mercy, penances and knowledge partially purify one's
existence, they do not take out the root of material desires. Thus the same desires will reappear at a later
time. After an extensive program of material gratification, one becomes eager to perform austerities,
acquire knowledge, perform selfless work and in general purify one's existence. After sufficient piety and
purification, however, one again becomes eager for material enjoyment. When clearing an agricultural field
one must uproot the unwanted plants, otherwise with the coming of rain everything will grow back as it
was. Pure devotional service to the Lord uproots one's material desires, so that there is no danger of
relapsing into a degraded life of material gratification. In the eternal kingdom of God, loving reciprocation
between the Lord and His devotees is manifest. One who has not come to this stage of enlightenment must
remain on the material platform, which is always full of discrepancies and contradictions. Thus everything is
incomplete and imperfect without loving service to the Lord.

SB 11.14.23
kathaḿ vinā roma-harṣaḿ dravatā cetasā vinā
vinānandāśru-kalayā śudhyed bhaktyā vināśayaḥ

SYNONYMS
katham — how; vinā — without; roma-harṣam — standing of the hairs on end; dravatā — melted; cetasā —
heart; vinā — without; vinā — without; ānanda — of bliss; aśru-kalayā — the flowing of tears; śudhyet —
can be purified; bhaktyā — loving service; vinā — without; āśayaḥ — the consciousness.

TRANSLATION
If one's hairs do not stand on end, how can the heart melt? And if the heart does not melt, how can tears
of love flow from the eyes? If one does not cry in spiritual happiness, how can one render loving service
to the Lord? And without such service, how can the consciousness be purified?

PURPORT
Loving service to the Lord is the only process that can completely purify one's consciousness; such service
produces waves of ecstatic love that completely cleanse the soul. As mentioned earlier by Lord Kṛṣṇa to Śrī
Uddhava, other processes such as self-control, pious activities, mystic yoga, penances, etc., certainly purify
the mind, as stated in many authorized literatures. Such processes, however, do not completely remove the
desire to perform forbidden activities. But pure devotional service rendered in love of Godhead is so
powerful that it burns to ashes any obstacle encountered on the path of progress. The Lord has stated in
this chapter that loving service to Him is a blazing fire that burns to ashes all impediments. In contrast, the
small fires of mental speculation or mystic yoga can be extinguished by sinful desires at any moment. Thus,
by hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam one should ignite the blazing fire of loving service to the Lord and burn to
ashes the network of material illusion.

SB 11.14.24
vāg gadgadā dravate yasya cittaḿ
rudaty abhīkṣṇaḿ hasati kvacic ca
vilajja udgāyati nṛtyate ca
mad-bhakti-yukto bhuvanaḿ punāti

SYNONYMS
vāk — speech; gadgadā — choked up; dravate — melts; yasya — of whom; cittam — the heart; rudati —
cries; abhīkṣṇam — again and again; hasati — laughs; kvacit — sometimes; ca — also; vilajjaḥ — ashamed;
udgāyati — sings out loudly; nṛtyate — dances; ca — also; mat-bhakti-yuktaḥ — one fixed in devotional
service to Me; bhuvanam — the universe; punāti — purifies.

TRANSLATION
 A devotee whose speech is sometimes choked up, whose heart melts, who cries continually and
sometimes laughs, who feels ashamed and cries out loudly and then dances — a devotee thus fixed in
loving service to Me purifies the entire universe.

PURPORT
Vāg gadgadā refers to a highly emotional state in which the throat is choked up and one cannot express
oneself. Vilajjaḥ indicates that a devotee sometimes feels embarrassment due to bodily functions and
memories of past sinful activities. In this condition, a devotee loudly cries out the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and
sometimes dances in ecstasy. As stated here, such a devotee purifies the three worlds.
By melting of the heart, one becomes very steady in spiritual life. Normally, one whose heart easily melts is
thought to be unsteady; but because Lord Kṛṣṇa is the stable foundation of all existence, one whose heart
melts in love of Kṛṣṇa becomes most stable and cannot be disturbed by opposing arguments, bodily
suffering, mental problems, supernatural disasters or the interference of envious persons. Because such a
devotee is fixed in loving service to the Lord, he becomes the very heart of the Personality of Godhead.

SB 11.14.25
yathāgninā hema malaḿ jahāti
dhmātaḿ punaḥ svaḿ bhajate ca rūpam
ātmā ca karmānuśayaḿ vidhūya
mad-bhakti-yogena bhajaty atho mām

SYNONYMS
yathā — just as; agninā — by fire; hema — gold; malam — impurities; jahāti — gives up; dhmātam —
smelted; punaḥ — again; svam — its own; bhajate — enters; ca — also; rūpam — form; ātmā — the spirit
soul or consciousness; ca — also; karma — of fruitive activities; anuśayam — the resultant contamination;
vidhūya — removing; mat-bhakti-yogena — by loving service to Me; bhajati — worships; atho — thus; mām
— Me.

TRANSLATION
Just as gold, when smelted in fire, gives up its impurities and returns to its pure brilliant state, similarly,
the spirit soul, absorbed in the fire of bhakti-yoga, is purified of all contamination caused by previous
fruitive activities and returns to its original position of serving Me in the spiritual world.

PURPORT
According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, this verse indicates that the devotee goes back home,
back to Godhead, and there worships Lord Kṛṣṇa in his original spiritual body, which is compared to the
original pure form of smelted gold. Gold alloyed with inferior metals cannot be purified by water and soap;
similarly, the heart's impurities cannot be removed by superficial processes. Only the fire of love of
Godhead can cleanse one's soul and send one back home, back to Godhead, to engage in eternal loving
service to the Lord.

SB 11.14.26
yathā yathātmā parimṛjyate 'sau
mat-puṇya-gāthā-śravaṇābhidhānaiḥ
tathā tathā paśyati vastu sūkṣmaḿ
cakṣur yathaivāñjana-samprayuktam

SYNONYMS
yathā yathā — as much as; ātmā — the spirit soul, the conscious entity; parimṛjyate — is cleansed of
material contamination; asau — he; mat-puṇya-gāthā — the pious narrations of My glories; śravaṇa — by
hearing; abhidhānaiḥ — and by chanting; tathā tathā — exactly in that proportion; paśyati — he sees;
vastu — the Absolute Truth; sūkṣmam — subtle, being nonmaterial; cakṣuḥ — the eye; yathā — just as; eva
— certainly; añjana — with medicinal ointment; samprayuktam — treated.

TRANSLATION
When a diseased eye is treated with medicinal ointment it gradually recovers its power to see. Similarly,
as a conscious living entity cleanses himself of material contamination by hearing and chanting the pious
narrations of My glories, he regains his ability to see Me, the Absolute Truth, in My subtle spiritual form.

PURPORT
The Lord is called sūkṣmam because He is pure spiritual consciousness, without any tinge of material
energy. If one chants and hears the holy name and glories of Kṛṣṇa with great sincerity, there is
immediately a transcendental effect. We can immediately see the spiritual world and pastimes of the Lord
if we fully surrender to the process mentioned here. A blind person feels perpetual gratitude to a doctor
who restores his sight. Similarly, we sing cakṣu-dāna dila ye, janme janme prabhu sei: the bona fide spiritual
master, the representative of Lord Kṛṣṇa, restores our spiritual sight, and thus he is our eternal lord and
master.

SB 11.14.27
viṣayān dhyāyataś cittaḿ viṣayeṣu viṣajjate
mām anusmarataś cittaḿ mayy eva pravilīyate

SYNONYMS
viṣayān — objects of sense gratification; dhyāyataḥ — of one who is meditating on; cittam — the
consciousness; viṣayeṣu — in the objects of gratification; viṣajjate — becomes attached; mām — Me;
anusmarataḥ — of one remembering constantly; cittam — the consciousness; mayi — in Me; eva —
certainly; pravilīyate — is absorbed.

TRANSLATION
The mind of one meditating upon the objects of sense gratification is certainly entangled in such objects,
but if one constantly remembers Me, then the mind is absorbed in Me.

PURPORT
One should not think that one can attain complete transcendental knowledge of Kṛṣṇa by mechanically
engaging in worship of the Lord. Lord Kṛṣṇa states here that one must endeavor constantly to keep the Lord
within one's mind. Anusmarataḥ, or constant remembrance, is possible for one who always chants and
hears the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa. It is therefore stated, śravaṇam, kīrtanam, smaraṇam: the process of
devotional service begins with hearing (śravaṇam) and chanting (kīrtanam), from which remembrance
(smaraṇam) develops. One who constantly thinks of the objects of material gratification becomes attached
to them; similarly, one who constantly keeps Lord Kṛṣṇa within his mind becomes absorbed in the Lord's
transcendental nature and thus becomes qualified to render personal service to the Lord in His own abode.

SB 11.14.28
tasmād asad-abhidhyānaḿ yathā svapna-manoratham
hitvā mayi samādhatsva mano mad-bhāva-bhāvitam

SYNONYMS
tasmāt — therefore; asat — material; abhidhyānam — processes of elevation which absorb one's attention;
yathā — just as; svapna — in a dream; manaḥ-ratham — mental concoction; hitvā — giving up; mayi — in
Me; samādhatsva — completely absorb; manaḥ — the mind; mat-bhāva — by consciousness of Me;
bhāvitam — purified.

TRANSLATION
Therefore, one should reject all material processes of elevation, which are like the mental creations of a
dream, and should completely absorb one's mind in Me. By constantly thinking of Me, one becomes
purified.

PURPORT
The word bhāvitam means "caused to be." As explained in Bhagavad-gītā, material existence is an unstable
platform subject to the constant disturbances of creation and annihilation. One who absorbs his
consciousness in Kṛṣṇa, however, attains to Kṛṣṇa's nature and is therefore described as mad-bhāva-
 bhāvitam, or one situated in real existence because of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Lord here concludes His
analysis of different processes of human perfection.

SB 11.14.29
strīṇāḿ strī-sańgināḿ sańgaḿ tyaktvā dūrata ātmavān
kṣeme vivikta āsīnaś cintayen mām atandritaḥ

SYNONYMS
strīṇām — of women; strī — to women; sańginām — of those who are attached or intimately associated;
sańgam — association; tyaktvā — giving up; dūrataḥ — far away; ātma-vān — being conscious of the self;
kṣeme — fearless; vivikte — in a separated or isolated place; āsīnaḥ — sitting; cintayet — one should
concentrate; mām — on Me; atandritaḥ — with great care.

TRANSLATION
Being conscious of the eternal self, one should give up association with women and those intimately
associated with women. Sitting fearlessly in a solitary place, one should concentrate the mind on Me
with great attention.

PURPORT
One who has intimate contact with women and becomes attached to them will gradually lose his
determination to go back home, back to Godhead. Association with lusty men gives exactly the same result.
Therefore, one is advised to be fearless and to sit down in a solitary place, or a place where there are no
lusty men and women committing spiritual suicide. Without fear of failure or of unhappiness in life, one
should remain with sincere devotees of the Lord. Atandrita means that one should not compromise this
principle but should be rigid and cautious. All this is possible only for one who is ātmavān, or fixed in
practical understanding of the eternal soul.

SB 11.14.30
na tathāsya bhavet kleśo bandhaś cānya-prasańgataḥ
yoṣit-sańgād yathā puḿso yathā tat-sańgi-sańgataḥ

SYNONYMS
na — not; tathā — like that; asya — of him; bhavet — could be; kleśaḥ — suffering; bandhaḥ — bondage;
ca — and; anya-prasańgataḥ — from any other attachment; yoṣit — of women; sańgāt — from
attachment; yathā — just as; puḿsaḥ — of a man; yathā — similarly; tat — to women; sańgi — of those
attached; sańgataḥ — from the association.

TRANSLATION
Of all kinds of suffering and bondage arising from various attachments, none is greater than the suffering
and bondage arising from attachment to women and intimate contact with those attached to women.

PURPORT
One should make a great endeavor to give up intimate contact with women and those fond of women. A
learned gentleman will automatically be on guard if placed in intimate contact with lusty women. In the
company of lusty men,, however, the same man may engage in all kinds of social dealings and thus be
contaminated by their polluted mentality. Association with lusty men is often more dangerous than
association with women and should be avoided by all means. There are innumerable verses in the
Bhāgavatam describing the intoxication of material lust. Suffice it to say that a lusty man becomes exactly
like a dancing dog and, by the influence of Cupid, loses all gravity, intelligence and direction in life. The Lord
warns here that one who surrenders to the illusory form of a woman suffers unbearably in this life and the
next.

SB 11.14.31
śrī-uddhava uvāca
yathā tvām aravindākṣa yādṛśaḿ vā yad-ātmakam
dhyāyen mumukṣur etan me dhyānaḿ tvaḿ vaktum arhasi
 SYNONYMS
śrī-uddhavaḥ uvāca — Śrī Uddhava said; yathā — in what way; tvām — You; aravinda-akṣa — O my dear
lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa; yādṛśam — of what specific nature; vā — or; yat-ātmakam — in what specific form;
dhyāyet — should meditate; mumukṣuḥ — one who desires liberation; etat — this; me — to me; dhyānam
— meditation; tvam — You; vaktum — to speak or explain; arhasi — ought.

TRANSLATION
Śrī Uddhava said: My dear lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, by what process should one who desires liberation meditate
upon You, of what specific nature should his meditation be, and upon which form should he meditate?
Kindly explain to me this topic of meditation.

PURPORT
It has already been elaborately explained by the Supreme Lord that without loving devotional service
rendered to Him in the association of devotees, no other process of self-realization will work. Therefore it
may be asked why Uddhava is again referring to the system of meditation, dhyāna. The ācāryas explain that
one cannot fully appreciate the beauty and perfection of bhakti-yoga unless one sees its superiority to all
other processes. Through comparative analysis, the devotees become fully ecstatic in their appreciation of
bhakti-yoga. It should also be understood that although Uddhava asks about those who aspire for
liberation, he is not actually a mumukṣu, or salvationist; rather, he is asking questions for the benefit of
those who are not on the platform of love of Godhead. Uddhava wants to hear this knowledge for his
personal appreciation and so that those who pursue salvation, or liberation, can be protected and
redirected to the path of pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord.

SB 11.14.32-33
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
sama āsana āsīnaḥ sama-kāyo yathā-sukham
hastāv utsańga ādhāya sva-nāsāgra-kṛtekṣaṇaḥ
prāṇasya śodhayen mārgaḿ pūra-kumbhaka-recakaiḥ
viparyayeṇāpi śanair abhyasen nirjitendriyaḥ

SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; same — having a level surface; āsane —
on the seat; āsīnaḥ — sitting; sama-kāyaḥ — sitting with the body straight and erect; yathā-sukham —
sitting comfortably; hastau — the two hands; utsańge — in the lap; ādhāya — placing; sva-nāsa-agra — on
the tip of one's own nose; kṛta — focusing; īkṣaṇaḥ — the glance; prāṇasya — of the breath; śodhayet —
should purify; mārgam — the pathway; pūra-kumbhaka-recakaiḥ — by the mechanical breathing exercises,
or prāṇāyāma; viparyayeṇa — by reversing the processes, namely recaka, kumbhaka and pūraka; api —
also; śanaiḥ — following the process step by step; abhyaset — one should practice prāṇāyāma; nirjita —
having controlled; indriyaḥ — the senses.

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Sitting on a level seat that is not too high or too low, keeping
the body straight and erect yet comfortable, placing the two hands on one's lap and focusing the eyes on
the tip of one's nose, one should purify the pathways of breathing by practicing the mechanical exercises
of pūraka, kumbhaka and recaka, and then one should reverse the procedure (recaka, kumbhaka,
pūraka). Having fully controlled the senses, one may thus practice prāṇāyāma step by step.

PURPORT
According to this procedure, the hands are to be placed palms upward, one on top of the other. Thus, one
may practice prāṇāyāma through mechanical breath control in order to achieve steadiness of the mind. As
stated in the yoga-śāstra, antar-lakṣyo bahir-dṛṣṭiḥ sthira-cittaḥ susańgataḥ: "The eyes, which generally see
externally, must be turned inward, and thus the mind is steadied and fully controlled."

SB 11.14.34
hṛdy avicchinam oḿkāraḿ ghaṇṭā-nādaḿ bisorṇa-vat
prāṇenodīrya tatrātha punaḥ saḿveśayet svaram
 SYNONYMS
hṛdi — in the heart; avicchinnam — uninterrupted, continuous; oḿkāram — the sacred vibration oḿ;
ghaṇṭā — like a bell; nādam — sound; bisa-ūrṇa-vat — like the fiber running up the lotus stalk; prāṇena —
by the wind of prāṇa; udīrya — pushing upward; tatra — therein (at a distance of twelve thumb-breadths);
atha — thus; punaḥ — again; saḿveśayet — one should join together; svaram — the fifteen vibrations
produced with anusvāra.

TRANSLATION
Beginning from the mūlādhāra-cakra, one should move the life air continuously upward like the fibers in
the lotus stalk until one reaches the heart, where the sacred syllable oḿ is situated like the sound of a
bell. One should thus continue raising the sacred syllable upward the distance of twelve ańgulas, and
there the oḿkāra should be joined together with the fifteen vibrations produced with anusvāra.

PURPORT
It appears that the yoga system is somewhat technical and difficult to perform. Anusvāra refers to a nasal
vibration pronounced after the fifteen Sanskrit vowels. The complete explanation of this process is
extremely complicated and obviously unsuitable for this age. From this description we can appreciate the
sophisticated achievements of those who in former ages practiced mystic meditation. Despite such
appreciation, however, we should stick firmly to the simple, foolproof method of meditation prescribed for
the present age, the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare R ama, Hare Rāma,
Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

SB 11.14.35
evaḿ praṇava-saḿyuktaḿ prāṇam eva samabhyaset
daśa-kṛtvas tri-ṣavaṇaḿ māsād arvāg jitānilaḥ

SYNONYMS
evam — thus; praṇava — with the syllable oḿ; saḿyuktam — joined; prāṇam — the prāṇāyāma system of
controlling the bodily airs; eva — indeed; samabhyaset — one should carefully practice; daśa-kṛtvaḥ — ten
times; tri-savanam — at sunrise, noon and sunset; māsāt — one month; arvāk — after; jita — one will
conquer; anilaḥ — the life air.

TRANSLATION
Being fixed in the oḿkāra, one should carefully practice the prāṇāyāma system ten times at each sunrise,
noon and sunset. Thus, after one month one will have conquered the life air.

SB 11.14.36-42
hṛt-puṇḍarīkam antaḥ-stham ūrdhva-nālam adho-mukham
dhyātvordhva-mukham unnidram aṣṭa-patraḿ sa-karṇikam
karṇikāyāḿ nyaset sūrya-somāgnīn uttarottaram
vahni-madhye smared rūpaḿ mamaitad dhyāna-mańgalam
samaḿ praśāntaḿ su-mukhaḿ dīrgha-cāru-catur-bhujam
su-cāru-sundara-grīvaḿ su-kapolaḿ śuci-smitam
samāna-karṇa-vinyasta-sphuran-makara-kuṇḍalam
hemāmbaraḿ ghana-śyāmaḿ śrīvatsa-śrī-niketanam
śańkha-cakra-gadā-padma-vanamālā-vibhūṣitam
nūpurair vilasat-pādaḿ kaustubha-prabhayā yutam
dyumat-kirīṭa-kaṭaka-kaṭi-sūtrāńgadāyutam
sarvāńga-sundaraḿ hṛdyaḿ prasāda-sumukhekṣanam
su-kumāram abhidhyāyet sarvāńgeṣu mano dadhat
indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyo manasākṛṣya tan manaḥ
buddhyā sārathinā dhīraḥ praṇayen mayi sarvataḥ

SYNONYMS
 hṛt — in the heart; puṇḍarīkam — lotus flower; antaḥ-stham — situated within the body; ūrdhva-nālam —
having erected the lotus stalk; adhaḥ-mukham — with eyes half closed, staring at the tip of the nose;
dhyātvā — having fixed the mind in meditation; ūrdhva-mukham — enlivened; unnidram — alert without
dozing off; aṣṭa-patram — with eight petals; sa-karṇikam — with the whorl of the lotus; karṇikāyām —
within the whorl; nyaset — one should place by concentration; sūrya — the sun; soma — moon; agnīn —
and fire; uttara-uttaram — in order, one after the other; vahni-madhye — within the fire; smaret — one
should meditate; rūpam — upon the form; mama — My; etat — this; dhyāna-mańgalam — the auspicious
object of meditation; samam — balanced, all the parts of the body proportionate; praśāntam — gentle; su-
mukham — cheerful; dīrgha-cāru-catuḥ-bhujam — having four beautiful long arms; su-cāru — charming;
sundara — beautiful; grīvam — neck; su-kapolam — beautiful forehead; śuci-smitam — having a pure
smile; samāna — alike; karṇa — in the two ears; vinyasta — situated; sphurat — glowing; makara — shaped
like sharks; kuṇḍalam — earrings; hema — golden colored; ambaram — dress; ghana-śyāmam — the color
of a dark rain cloud; śrī-vatsa — the unique curl of hair on the Lord's chest; śrī-niketanam — the abode of
the goddess of fortune; śańkha — with the conchshell; cakra — Sudarśana disc; gadā — club; padma —
lotus; vana-mālā — and a garland of forest flowers; vibhūṣitam — decorated; nūpuraiḥ — with ankle bells
and bracelets; vilasat — shining; pādam — the lotus feet; kaustubha — of the Kaustubha gem; prabhayā —
with the effulgence; yutam — enriched; dyumat — shining; kirīṭa — crown or helmet; kaṭaka — gold
bracelets; kaṭi-sūtra — a band for the waist or upper hip; ańgada — bracelets; āyutam — equipped with;
sarva-ańga — all the parts of the body; sundaram — beautiful; hṛdyam — charming; prasāda — with mercy;
sumukha — smiling; īkṣaṇam — His glance; su-kumāram — most delicate; abhidhyāyet — one should
meditate; sarva-ańgeṣu — in all the parts of the body; manaḥ — the mind; dadhat — placing; indriyāṇi —
the material senses; indriya-arthebhyaḥ — from the object of the senses; manasā — by the mind; ākṛṣya —
pulling back; tat — that; manaḥ — mind; buddhyā — by intelligence; sārathinā — which is like the driver of
a chariot; dhīraḥ — being grave and self-controlled; praṇayet — one should strongly lead; mayi — unto Me;
sarvataḥ — in all limbs of the body.

TRANSLATION
Keeping the eyes half closed and fixed on the tip of one's nose, being enlivened and alert, one should
meditate on the lotus flower situated within the heart. This lotus has eight petals and is situated on an
erect lotus stalk. One should meditate on the sun, moon and fire, placing them one after the other within
the whorl of that lotus flower. Placing My transcendental form within the fire, one should meditate upon
it as the auspicious goal of all meditation. That form is perfectly proportioned, gentle and cheerful. It
possesses four beautiful long arms, a charming, beautiful neck, a handsome forehead, a pure smile and
glowing, shark-shaped earrings suspended from two identical ears. That spiritual form is the color of a
dark rain cloud and is garbed in golden-yellowish silk. The chest of that form is the abode of Śrīvatsa and
the goddess of fortune, and that form is also decorated with a conchshell, disc, club, lotus flower and
garland of forest flowers. The two brilliant lotus feet are decorated with ankle bells and bracelets, and
that form exhibits the Kaustubha gem along with an effulgent crown. The upper hips are beautified by a
golden belt, and the arms are decorated with valuable bracelets. All of the limbs of that beautiful form
capture the heart, and the face is beautified by merciful glancing. Pulling the senses back from the sense
objects, one should be grave and self-controlled and should use the intelligence to strongly fix the mind
upon all of the limbs of My transcendental body. Thus one should meditate upon that most delicate
transcendental form of Mine.

PURPORT
Lord Kṛṣṇa here answers Uddhava's question concerning the correct procedure, nature and object of
meditation for those desiring liberation.

SB 11.14.43
tat sarva-vyāpakaḿ cittam ākṛṣyaikatra dhārayet
nānyāni cintayed bhūyaḥ su-smitaḿ bhāvayen mukham

SYNONYMS
tat — therefore; sarva — in all the parts of the body; vyāpakam — spread; cittam — consciousness; ākṛṣya
— pulling back; ekatra — in one place; dhārayet — one should concentrate; na — not; anyāni — other
limbs of the body; cintayet — one should meditate on; bhūyaḥ — again; su-smitam — wonderfully smiling
or laughing; bhāvayet — one should concentrate on; mukham — the face.

TRANSLATION
One should then pull the consciousness back from all the limbs of that transcendental body. At that time,
one should meditate only on the wonderfully smiling face of the Lord.

SB 11.14.44
tatra labdha-padaḿ cittam ākṛṣya vyomni dhārayet
tac ca tyaktvā mad-āroho na kiñcid api cintayet

SYNONYMS
tatra — in such meditation on the Lord's face; labdha-padam — being established; cittam — consciousness;
ākṛṣya — withdrawing; vyomni — in the sky; dhārayet — one should meditate; tat — such meditation in the
sky as the cause of material manifestation; ca — also; tyaktvā — giving up; mat — to Me; ārohaḥ — having
ascended; na — not; kiñcit — anything; api — at all; cintayet — one should think of.

TRANSLATION
Being established in meditation on the Lord's face, one should then withdraw the consciousness and fix it
in the sky. Then giving up such meditation, one should become established in Me and give up the process
of meditation altogether.

PURPORT
As one becomes established in pure consciousness, the duality of "I am meditating and this is the object of
my meditation" vanishes, and one comes to the stage of spontaneous relationship with the Personality of
Godhead. Every living entity is originally part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and when that forgotten
eternal relationship is revived one experiences remembrance of the Absolute Truth. In that stage, described
here as mad-ārohaḥ, one no longer sees oneself as a meditator nor the Lord as a mere object of
meditation, but rather one enters the spiritual sky for an eternal life of bliss and knowledge in direct loving
relationship with the Lord.
Uddhava originally inquired about the procedure of meditation for those desiring liberation. The word
labdha-padam indicates that when one fixes the mind upon the Lord's face, one achieves full liberation. In
the postliberation phase one then proceeds to render service to the original Personality of Godhead. By
giving up the concept of being a meditator, one casts off the last small remnant of illusory energy and sees
the Lord as He actually is.

SB 11.14.45
evaḿ samāhita-matir mām evātmānam ātmani
vicaṣṭe mayi sarvātman jyotir jyotiṣi saḿyutam

SYNONYMS
evam — thus; samāhita — completely fixed; matiḥ — consciousness; mām — Me; eva — indeed; ātmānam
— the individual soul; ātmani — within the individual soul; vicaṣṭe — sees; mayi — in Me; sarva-ātman — in
the Supreme Personality of Godhead; jyotiḥ — the sunrays; jyotiṣi — within the sun; saḿyutam — united.

TRANSLATION
One who has completely fixed his mind on Me should see Me within his own soul and should see the
individual soul within Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus, he sees the individual souls united
with the Supreme Soul, just as one sees the sun's rays completely united with the sun.

PURPORT
In the spiritual world everything is naturally effulgent because that is the nature of spirit. Thus when one
sees the individual soul as part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, the experience can be compared to seeing
the sun's rays emanating from the sun. The Supreme Lord is within the living entity, and simultaneously the
living entity is within the Lord. But in both cases the Supreme Lord, and not the living entity, is the
maintainer and controller. How happy everyone could be by taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and finding the
Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, within everything and everything within Kṛṣṇa. Liberated life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is
 so pleasurable that the greatest misfortune is to be without such consciousness. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is kindly
explaining in many different ways the supremacy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and fortunate persons will
understand the sincere message of the Lord.

SB 11.14.46
dhyānenetthaḿ su-tīvreṇa yuñjato yogino manaḥ
saḿyāsyaty āśu nirvāṇaḿ dravya jñāna-kriyā-bhramaḥ

SYNONYMS
dhyānena — by meditation; ittham — as thus mentioned; su-tīvreṇa — extremely concentrated; yuñjataḥ
— of one practicing; yoginaḥ — of the yogī; manaḥ — the mind; saḿyāsyati — will go together; āśu —
quickly; nirvāṇam — to extinction; dravya-jñāna-kriyā — based on perception of material objects,
knowledge and activities; bhramaḥ — the illusory identification.

TRANSLATION
When the yogī thus controls his mind by intensely concentrated meditation, his illusory identification
with material objects, knowledge and activities is very quickly extinguished.

PURPORT
Because of false material identification, we accept our own body and mind, the bodies and minds of others,
and supernatural material control to be ultimate realities. Supernatural control refers to the bodies and
minds of the demigods, who ultimately are humble servitors of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even
the mighty sun, which displays immense potencies, obediently treads its universal path by the order of Lord
Kṛṣṇa.
It is clearly seen in this chapter that haṭha-yoga, karma-yoga, rāja-yoga, etc., are part and parcel of bhakti-
yoga and do not actually exist separately. The goal of life is Lord Kṛṣṇa, and one must eventually come to
the stage of pure devotion if one desires to perfect one's meditation or yoga practice. In the mature stage
of devotion, as described in this chapter, one becomes free from the artificial duality of meditator and
object of meditation, and one spontaneously engages in hearing about and glorifying the Supreme Absolute
Truth. Such activities of bhakti-yoga are natural because they spring from spontaneous love. When one
revives one's original nature as the loving servitor of Lord Kṛṣṇa, other yoga processes cease to be
interesting. Uddhava was a pure devotee even before the Lord began His instruction; therefore it was not
expected that Uddhava would give up the supreme platform of being a personal associate of the Lord to
take up the mechanical exercises of the yoga system. Bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, is so elevated that
even in the beginning stages of practice one is considered liberated, because all of one's activities are
executed under proper guidance for the pleasure of the Lord. In the haṭha-yoga system one is concerned
with bodily control, and in jñāna-yoga one is concerned with speculative knowledge. In both systems one
endeavors selfishly, desiring to become a great yogī or a philosopher. Such egoistic activity is described in
this verse as kriyā. One must give up the illusory designations of dravya, jñāna and kriyā and come to the
prideless stage of loving service to the Lord.
 Chapter 15: Lord Kṛṣṇa's Description of Mystic Yoga Perfections

SB 11.15.1
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
jitendriyasya yuktasya jita-śvāsasya yoginaḥ
mayi dhārayataś ceta upatiṣṭhanti siddhayaḥ

SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; jita-indriyasya — of one who has
conquered his senses; yuktasya — who has steadied the mind; jita-śvāsasya — and conquered his breathing
system; yoginaḥ — of such a yogī; mayi — in Me; dhārayataḥ — fixing; cetaḥ — his consciousness;
upatiṣṭhanti — appear; siddhayaḥ — the mystic perfections of yoga.

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, the mystic perfections of yoga are acquired
by a yogī who has conquered his senses, steadied his mind, conquered the breathing process and fixed
his mind on Me.

PURPORT
There are eight primary mystic perfections, such as aṇimā-siddhi, and ten secondary perfections. In this
Fifteenth Chapter Lord Kṛṣṇa will explain that such mystic perfections are actually impediments to the
development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and that therefore one should not desire them.

SB 11.15.2
śrī-uddhava uvāca
kayā dhāraṇayā kā svit kathaḿ vā siddhir acyuta
kati vā siddhayo brūhi yogināḿ siddhi-do bhavān

SYNONYMS
śrī-uddhavaḥ uvāca — Śrī Uddhava said; kayā — by what; dhāraṇayā — process of meditation; kā svit —
which indeed; katham — in what manner; vā — or; siddhiḥ — mystic perfection; acyuta — My dear Lord;
kati — how many; vā — or; siddhayaḥ — perfections; brūhi — please speak; yoginām — of all yogīs; siddhi-
daḥ — the giver of mystic perfections; bhavān — You.

TRANSLATION
Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord Acyuta, by what process can mystic perfection be achieved, and what is
the nature of such perfection? How many mystic perfections are there? Please explain these things to
me. Indeed, You are the bestower of all mystic perfections.
 SB 11.15.3
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
siddhayo 'ṣṭādaśa proktā dhāraṇā yoga-pāra-gaiḥ
tāsām aṣṭau mat-pradhānā daśaiva guṇa-hetavaḥ

SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; siddhayaḥ — mystic perfections; aṣṭādaśa
— eighteen; proktāḥ — are declared; dhāraṇāḥ — meditations; yoga — of yoga; pāra-gaiḥ — by the
masters; tāsām — of the eighteen; aṣṭau — eight; mat-pradhānāḥ — have their shelter in Me; daśa — ten;
eva — indeed; guṇa-hetavaḥ — are manifested from the material mode of goodness.

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The masters of the yoga system have declared that there are
eighteen types of mystic perfection and meditation, of which eight are primary, having their shelter in
Me, and ten are secondary, appearing from the material mode of goodness.

PURPORT
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains the word mat pradhānāḥ as follows. Lord Kṛṣṇa is naturally
the shelter of the eight primary mystic potencies and meditations because such perfections emanate from
the Lord's personal potency, and thus they are fully developed only within the Lord Himself and the Lord's
personal associates. When materialistic persons mechanically acquire such potencies, the perfections
awarded are of an inferior degree and are considered to be manifestations of māyā, illusion. A pure
devotee of the Lord automatically receives from the Lord wonderful potencies to execute his devotional
service. If for sense gratification one mechanically endeavors to acquire mystic perfections, then these
perfections are certainly considered to be inferior expansions of the Lord's external potency.

SB 11.15.4-5
aṇimā mahimā mūrter laghimā prāptir indriyaiḥ
prākāmyaḿ śruta-dṛṣṭeṣu śakti-preraṇam īśitā
guṇeṣv asańgo vaśitā yat-kāmas tad avasyati
etā me siddhayaḥ saumya aṣṭāv autpattikā matāḥ

SYNONYMS
aṇimā — the perfection of becoming smaller than the smallest; mahimā — becoming greater than the
greatest; mūrteḥ — of the body; laghimā — becoming lighter than the lightest; prāptiḥ — acquisition;
indriyaiḥ — by the senses; prākāmyam — obtaining or performing whatever one desires; śruta — things
invisible,, about which one only hears; dṛṣṭeṣu — and things visible; śakti-preraṇam — manipulating the
subpotencies of māyā; īśitā — the perfection of controlling; guṇeṣu — in the modes of material nature;
asańgaḥ — being unobstructed; vaśitā — the power to bring others under control; yat — whatever;
kāmaḥ — desire (there may be); tat — that; avasyati — one can obtain; etāḥ — these; me — My
(potencies); siddhayaḥ — mystic perfections; saumya — O gentle Uddhava; aṣṭau — eight; autpattikāḥ —
natural and unexcelled; matāḥ — understood to be.

TRANSLATION
Among the eight primary mystic perfections, the three by which one transforms one's own body are
aṇimā, becoming smaller than the smallest; mahimā, becoming greater than the greatest; and laghimā,
becoming lighter than the lightest. Through the perfection of prāpti one acquires whatever one desires,
and through prākāmya-siddhi one experiences any enjoyable object, either in this world or the next.
Through iśitā-siddhi one can manipulate the subpotencies of māyā, and through the controlling potency
called vaśitā-siddhi one is unimpeded by the three modes of nature. One who has acquired
kāmāvasāyitā-siddhi can obtain anything from anywhere, to the highest possible limit. My dear gentle
Uddhava, these eight mystic perfections are considered to be naturally existing and unexcelled within
this world.

PURPORT
Through aṇimā-siddhi one can become so small that one can enter a stone or pass through any obstacle.
Through mahimā-siddhi one becomes so great that one covers everything, and through laghimā one
 becomes so light that one can ride on the sun's rays into the sun planet. Through prāpti-siddhi one can
acquire anything from anywhere and can even touch the moon with one's finger. By this mystic perfection
one can also enter into the senses of any other living entity through the predominating deities of the
particular senses; and by thus utilizing the senses of others, one can acquire anything. Through prākāmya
one can experience any enjoyable object, either in this world or the next, and through īśitā, or the
controlling potency, one can manipulate the subpotencies of māyā, which are material. In other words,
even by acquiring mystic powers one cannot pass beyond the control of illusion; however, one may
manipulate the subpotencies of illusion. Through vaśitā, or the power to control, one can bring others
under one's dominion or keep oneself beyond the control of the three modes of nature. Ultimately, one
acquires through kāmāvasāyitā the maximum powers of control, acquisition and enjoyment. The word
autpattikāḥ in this verse indicates being original, natural and unexcelled. These eight mystic potencies
originally exist in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, in the superlative degree. Lord Kṛṣṇa
becomes so small that He enters within the atomic particles, and He becomes so large that as Mahā-Viṣṇu
He breathes out millions of universes. The Lord can become so light or subtle that even great mystic yogīs
cannot perceive Him, and the Lord's acquisitive power is perfect, because He keeps the total existence
eternally within His body. The Lord certainly can enjoy whatever He likes, control all energies, dominate all
other persons and exhibit complete omnipotency. Therefore it is to be understood that these eight mystic
perfections are insignificant expansions of the mystic potency of the Lord, who in Bhagavad-gītā is called
Yogeśvara, the Supreme Lord of all mystic potencies. These eight perfections are not artificial, but are
natural and unexcelled because they originally exist in the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 11.15.6-7
anūrmimattvaḿ dehe 'smin dūra-śravaṇa-darśanam
mano-javaḥ kāma-rūpaḿ para-kāya-praveśanam
svacchanda-mṛtyur devānāḿ saha-krīḍānudarśanam
yathā-sańkalpa-saḿsiddhir ājñāpratihatā gatiḥ

SYNONYMS
anūrmi-mattvam — being undisturbed by hunger, thirst, etc.; dehe asmin — in this body; dūra — things
very far away; śravaṇa — hearing; darśanam — and seeing; manaḥ-javaḥ — moving the body at the speed
of the mind; kāma-rūpam — assuming any body that one desires; para-kāya — the bodies of others;
praveśanam — entering; sva-chanda — according to one's own desire; mṛtyuḥ — dying; devānām — of the
demigods; saha — together with (the celestial girls); krīḍā — the sporting pastimes; anudarśanam —
witnessing; yathā — according to; sańkalpa — one's determination; saḿsiddhiḥ — perfect accomplishment;
ājñā — order; apratihatā — unimpeded; gatiḥ — whose progress.

TRANSLATION
The ten secondary mystic perfections arising from the modes of nature are the powers of freeing oneself
from hunger and thirst and other bodily disturbances, hearing and seeing things far away, moving the
body at the speed of the mind, assuming any form one desires, entering the bodies of others, dying when
one desires, witnessing the pastimes between the demigods and the celestial girls called Apsarās,
completely executing one's determination and giving orders whose fulfillment is unimpeded.

SB 11.15.8-9
tri-kāla-jñatvam advandvaḿ para-cittādy-abhijñatā
agny-arkāmbu-viṣādīnāḿ pratiṣṭambho 'parājayaḥ
etāś coddeśataḥ proktā yoga-dhāraṇa-siddhayaḥ
yayā dhāraṇayā yā syād yathā vā syān nibodha me

SYNONYMS
tri-kāla-jñatvam — the perfection of knowing past, present and future; advandvam — being unaffected by
dualities such as heat and cold; para — of others; citta — the mind; ādi — and so on; abhijñatā — knowing;
agni — of fire; arka — the sun; ambu — water; viṣa — of poison; ādīnām — and so on; pratiṣṭambhaḥ —
checking the potency; aparājayaḥ — not being conquered by others; etāḥ — these; ca — also; uddeśataḥ
— merely by mentioning their names and characteristics; proktāḥ — are described; yoga — of the yoga
system; dhāraṇa — of meditation; siddhayaḥ — perfections; yayā — by which; dhāraṇayā — meditation; yā
— which (perfection); syāt — may occur; yathā — by which means; vā — or; syāt — may occur; nibodha —
please learn; me — from Me.

TRANSLATION
The power to know past, present and future; tolerance of heat, cold and other dualities; knowing the
minds of others; checking the influence of fire, sun, water, poison, and so on; and remaining
unconquered by others — these constitute five perfections of the mystic process of yoga and meditation.
I am simply listing these here according to their names and characteristics. Now please learn from Me
how specific mystic perfections arise from specific meditations and also of the particular processes
involved.

PURPORT
According to the ācāryas these five perfections are considered to be quite inferior to the others already
mentioned, since they involve more or less ordinary physical and mental manipulations. According to Śrīla
Madhvācārya, in the perfection called agny-arkāmbu-viṣādīnāḿ pratiṣṭambhaḥ, or checking the influence of
fire, sun, water, poison, and so on, the term "and so on" refers to one's remaining invulnerable to all types
of weapons as well as attacks by nails, teeth, beating, curses and other such sources.

SB 11.15.10
bhūta-sūkṣmātmani mayi tan-mātraḿ dhārayen manaḥ
aṇimānam avāpnoti tan-mātropāsako mama

SYNONYMS
bhūta-sūkṣma — of the subtle elements; ātmani — in the soul; mayi — in Me; tat-mātram — on the subtle,
elemental forms of perception; dhārayet — one should concentrate; manaḥ — the mind; aṇimānam — the
mystic perfection called aṇimā; avāpnoti — obtains; tat-mātra — in the subtle elements; upāsakaḥ — the
worshiper; mama — My.

TRANSLATION
One who worships Me in My atomic form pervading all subtle elements, fixing his mind on that alone,
obtains the mystic perfection called aṇimā.

PURPORT
Aṇimā refers to the mystic ability to make oneself smaller than the smallest and thus able to enter within
anything. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is within the atoms and atomic particles, and one who
perfectly fixes his mind in that subtle atomic form of the Lord acquires the mystic potency called aṇimā, by
which one can enter within even the most dense matter such as stone.

SB 11.15.11
mahat-tattvātmani mayi yathā-saḿsthaḿ mano dadhat
mahimānam avāpnoti bhūtānāḿ ca pṛthak pṛthak

SYNONYMS
mahat-tattva — of the total material energy; ātmani — in the Soul; mayi — in Me; yathā — according to;
saḿstham — the particular situation; manaḥ — the mind; dadhat — fixing; mahimānam — the mystic
perfection called mahimā; avāpnoti — one achieves; bhūtānām — of the material elements; ca — also;
pṛthak pṛthak — each one individually.

TRANSLATION
One who absorbs his mind in the particular form of the mahat-tattva and thus meditates upon Me as the
Supreme Soul of the total material existence achieves the mystic perfection called mahimā. By further
absorbing the mind in the situation of each individual element such as the sky, air, fire, and so on, one
progressively acquires the greatness of each material element.

PURPORT
 There are innumerable verses in Vedic literatures explaining that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is
qualitatively not different from His creation and thus a yogī may meditate upon the total material existence
as a manifestation of the external potency of the Lord. Once the yogī has established his realization that the
material creation is not different from the Lord, he obtains the perfection called mahimā-siddhi. By realizing
the Lord's presence in each individual element the yogī also acquires the greatness of each element.
However, the pure devotees are not very interested in such perfections because they are surrendered to
the Personality of Godhead, who exhibits such perfections to the infinite degree. Being always protected by
the Lord, the pure devotees save their precious time to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare
Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Thus they achieve for themselves and others
saḿsiddhi, or the supreme perfection, pure love of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by which one expands
one's existence beyond the total material creation to the spiritual planets called Vaikuṇṭha.

SB 11.15.12
paramāṇu-maye cittaḿ bhūtānāḿ mayi rañjayan
kāla-sūkṣmārthatāḿ yogī laghimānam avāpnuyāt

SYNONYMS
parama-aṇu-maye — in the form of atoms; cittam — his consciousness; bhūtānām — of the material
elements; mayi — in Me; rañjayan — attaching; kāla — of time; sūkṣma — subtle; arthatām — being the
substance; yogī — the yogī; laghimānam — the mystic perfection laghimā; avāpnuyāt — may obtain.

TRANSLATION
I exist within everything, and I am therefore the essence of the atomic constituents of material elements.
By attaching his mind to Me in this form, the yogī may achieve the perfection called laghimā, by which he
realizes the subtle atomic substance of time.

PURPORT
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam elaborately explains that kāla, or time, is the transcendental form of the Lord that
moves the material world. Since the five gross elements are composed of atoms, the atomic particles are
the subtle substance or manifestation of the movements of time. More subtle than time is the Personality
of Godhead Himself, who expands His potency as the time factor. By understanding all these things clearly
the yogī obtains laghimā-siddhi, or the power to make himself lighter than the lightest.

SB 11.15.13
dhārayan mayy ahaḿ-tattve mano vaikārike 'khilam
sarvendriyāṇām ātmatvaḿ prāptiḿ prāpnoti man-manāḥ

SYNONYMS
dhārayan — concentrating; mayi — in Me; aham-tattve — within the element of false ego; manaḥ — the
mind; vaikārike — in that which is produced from the mode of goodness; akhilam — completely; sarva — of
all living entities; indriyāṇām — of the senses; ātmatvam — proprietorship; prāptim — the mystic
perfection of acquisition; prāpnoti — obtains; mat-manāḥ — the yogī whose mind is fixed in Me.

TRANSLATION
Fixing his mind completely in Me within the element of false ego generated from the mode of goodness,
the yogī obtains the power of mystic acquisition, by which he becomes the proprietor of the senses of all
living entities. He obtains such perfection because his mind is absorbed in Me.

PURPORT
It is significant that in order to acquire each mystic perfection one must fix one's mind on the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura states that those who pursue such
perfections without fixing the mind in the Supreme Lord acquire a gross and inferior reflection of each
mystic potency. Those who are not conscious of the Lord cannot actually synchronize their minds perfectly
with the universal functions and therefore cannot elevate their mystic opulences to the universal platform.

SB 11.15.14
mahaty ātmani yaḥ sūtre dhārayen mayi mānasam
 prākāmyaḿ pārameṣṭhyaḿ me vindate 'vyakta-janmanaḥ

SYNONYMS
mahati — in the mahat-tattva; ātmani — in the Supersoul; yaḥ — one who; sūtre — characterized by the
chain of fruitive activities; dhārayet — should concentrate; mayi — in Me; mānasam — the mental
activities; prākāmyam — the mystic perfection called prākāmya; pārameṣṭhyam — most excellent; me —
from Me; vindate — obtains or enjoys; avyakta-janmanaḥ — from Him whose appearance in this world
cannot be materially perceived.

TRANSLATION
One who concentrates all mental activities in Me as the Supersoul of that phase of the mahat-tattva
which manifests the chain of fruitive activities obtains from Me, whose appearance is beyond material
perception, the most excellent mystic perfection called prākāmya.

PURPORT
Śrīla Vīrarāghava Ācārya explains that the word sūtra, or "thread," is used to indicate that the mahat-tattva
sustains one's fruitive activities just as a thread sustains a row of jewels. Thus by fixed meditation on the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the soul of the mahat-tattva, one can achieve the most excellent
perfection called prākāmya. Avyakta-janmanaḥ indicates that the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears
from the avyakta, or the spiritual sky, or that His birth is avyakta, beyond the perception of material senses.
Unless one accepts the transcendental form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no possibility
of obtaining prākāmya or any other genuine mystic perfection.

SB 11.15.15
viṣṇau try-adhīśvare cittaḿ dhārayet kāla-vigrahe
sa īśitvam avāpnoti kṣetrajña-kṣetra-codanām

SYNONYMS
viṣṇau — in Lord Viṣṇu, the Supersoul; tri-adhīśvare — the supreme controller of māyā, which consists of
three modes of nature; cittam — the consciousness; dhārayet — one concentrates; kāla — of time, the
prime mover; vigrahe — in the form; saḥ — he, the yogī; īśitvam — the mystic perfection of controlling;
avāpnoti — obtains; kṣetra-jña — the conscious living entity; kṣetra — and the body with its designations;
codanām — impelling.

TRANSLATION
One who places his consciousness on Viṣṇu, the Supersoul, the prime mover and Supreme Lord of the
external energy consisting of three modes, obtains the mystic perfection of controlling other conditioned
souls, their material bodies and their bodily designations.

PURPORT
We should remember that mystic perfection never enables a living entity to challenge the supremacy of the
Personality of Godhead. In fact, one cannot obtain such perfections without the mercy of the Supreme
Lord; thus one's controlling power can never disturb the plan of Lord Kṛṣṇa. One is allowed to exhibit mystic
control only within the confines of the law of God, and even a great yogī who transgresses the law of God
by his so-called mystic opulences will be severely punished, as revealed in the story of Durvāsā Muni
cursing Ambarīṣa Mahārāja.

SB 11.15.16
nārāyaṇe turīyākhye bhagavac-chabda-śabdite
mano mayy ādadhad yogī mad-dharmā vaśitām iyāt

SYNONYMS
nārāyaṇe — in the Supreme Lord, Nārāyaṇa; turīya-ākhye — known as the fourth, beyond the three modes
of material nature; bhagavat — full of all opulences; śabda-śabdite — known by the word; manaḥ — the
mind; mayi — in Me; ādadhat — placing; yogī — the yogī; mat-dharmā — being endowed with My nature;
vaśitām — the mystic opulence called vaśitā; iyāt — may obtain.
 TRANSLATION
The yogī who places his mind in My form of Nārāyaṇa, known as the fourth factor, full of all opulences,
becomes endowed with My nature and thus obtains the mystic perfection called vaśitā.

PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gītā (7.13) Lord Kṛṣṇa states,
tribhir guṇa-mayair bhāvair ebhiḥ sarvam idaḿ jagat
mohitaḿ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam
"Deluded by the three modes [goodness, passion and ignorance], the whole world does not know Me, who
am above the modes and inexhaustible." Thus the Lord is called turīya, or the fourth factor beyond the
three modes of nature. According to Śrīla Vīrarāghava Ācārya, turīya also indicates that the Lord is beyond
the three ordinary phases of consciousness, namely wakefulness, dreaming and dreamless sleep. Bhaga-
vac-chabda-śabdite indicates that the Lord is known as Bhagavān, or the possessor of unlimited opulences,
principally beauty, fame, wealth, knowledge, renunciation and intelligence.
In conclusion, one can obtain the mystic opulence vaśitā, or freedom from the modes of nature, by
meditating upon the Lord as turīya, the fourth factor beyond those modes. Everything depends upon the
favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 11.15.17
nirguṇe brahmaṇi mayi dhārayan viśadaḿ manaḥ
paramānandam āpnoti yatra kāmo 'vasīyate

SYNONYMS
nirguṇe — without qualities; brahmaṇi — in Brahman; mayi — in Me; dhārayan — concentrating; viśadam
— pure; manaḥ — the mind; parama-ānandam — the greatest happiness; āpnoti — obtains; yatra —
wherein; kāmaḥ — desire; avasīyate — is completely fulfilled.

TRANSLATION
One who fixes his pure mind on Me in My manifestation as the impersonal Brahman obtains the greatest
happiness, wherein all his desires are completely fulfilled.

PURPORT
Paramānanda, or "the greatest happiness," here indicates the greatest material happiness, since it is clearly
stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that a devotee has no personal desire, or kāma. One who has personal desire
is certainly within the material world, and on the material platform the greatest happiness is kāmāvasāyitā-
siddhi, or the perfection of completely obtaining anything that one desires.

SB 11.15.18
śvetadvīpa-patau cittaḿ śuddhe dharma-maye mayi
dhārayañ chvetatāḿ yāti ṣaḍ-ūrmi-rahito naraḥ

SYNONYMS
śveta-dvīpa — of the white island, the abode of Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu; patau — in the Lord; cittam —
consciousness; śuddhe — in the personification of goodness; dharma-maye — in He who is always situated
in piety; mayi — in Me; dhārayan — concentrating; śvetatām — pure existence; yāti — obtains; ṣaṭ-ūrmi —
the six waves of material disturbance; rahitaḥ — freed from; naraḥ — a person.

TRANSLATION
A human being who concentrates on Me as the upholder of religious principles, the personification of
purity and the Lord of Śvetadvīpa obtains the pure existence in which he is freed from the six waves of
material disturbance, namely hunger, thirst, decay, death, grief and illusion.

PURPORT
The Lord now begins to explain the processes for obtaining the ten secondary mystic perfections derived
from the modes of nature. Within the material world Lord Viṣṇu, addressed here as śvetadvīpa-pati, the
Lord of Śvetadvīpa, governs the material mode of goodness and is thus called śuddha and dharma-maya, or
 the personification of purity and piety. By worshiping Lord Viṣṇu as the personification of material
goodness one obtains the material benediction of freedom from bodily disturbance.

SB 11.15.19
mayy ākāśātmani prāṇe manasā ghoṣam udvahan
tatropalabdhā bhūtānāḿ haḿso vācaḥ śṛṇoty asau

SYNONYMS
mayi — in Me; ākāśa-ātmani — in the personification of the sky; prāṇe — in the life air; manasā — with the
mind; ghoṣam — the transcendental sound; udvahan — concentrating on; tatra — there in the sky;
upalabdhāḥ — perceived; bhūtānām — of all living entities; haḿsaḥ — the purified living entity; vācaḥ —
words or speaking; śṛṇoti — hears; asau — he.

TRANSLATION
That purified living entity who fixes his mind on the extraordinary sound vibrations occurring within Me
as the personified sky and total life air is then able to perceive within the sky the speaking of all living
entities.

PURPORT
Speech occurs by vibrating air within the sky. One who meditates on the Supreme Lord as the personified
sky and air thereby acquires the ability to hear that which is vibrated at great distance. The word prāṇa
indicates that the Lord is the personified life air of the individual living entities and for the total aggregate
of life forms. Ultimately, the pure devotees meditate on the supreme vibration — Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa,
Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare — and are thus able to hear the
speech originating from liberated living entities far beyond the material universe. Any living entity can hear
such discussions by reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā and other such literatures. One who has
properly understood the opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead finds all perfection, mystic and
otherwise, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

SB 11.15.20
cakṣus tvaṣṭari saḿyojya tvaṣṭāram api cakṣuṣi
māḿ tatra manasā dhyāyan viśvaḿ paśyati dūrataḥ

SYNONYMS
cakṣuḥ — the eyes; tvaṣṭari — in the sun; saḿyojya — merging; tvaṣṭāram — the sun; api — also; cakṣuṣi —
in one's eyes; mām — Me; tatra — there, in the mutual merging of sun and eye; manasā — with the mind;
dhyāyan — meditating; viśvam — everything; paśyati — he sees; dūrataḥ — far away.

TRANSLATION
Merging one's sight into the sun planet and then the sun planet into one's eyes, one should meditate on
Me as existing within the combination of sun and vision; thus one acquires the power to see any distant
thing.

SB 11.15.21
mano mayi su-saḿyojya dehaḿ tad-anuvāyunā
mad-dhāraṇānubhāvena tatrātmā yatra vai manaḥ

SYNONYMS
manaḥ — the mind; mayi — in Me; su-saḿyojya — completely absorbing; deham — the material body; tat
— the mind; anu-vāyunā — by the wind that follows; mat-dhāraṇā — of meditation in Me; anubhāvena —
by the potency; tatra — there; ātmā — the material body (goes); yatra — wherever; vai — certainly; manaḥ
— the mind (goes).

TRANSLATION
The yogī who completely absorbs his mind in Me, and who then makes use of the wind that follows the
mind to absorb the material body in Me, obtains through the potency of meditation on Me the mystic
perfection by which his body immediately follows his mind wherever it goes.

PURPORT
Tad-anuvāyunā indicates the particular subtle air that follows the mind. When the yogī merges this air
together with the body and mind in Kṛṣṇa by the potency of meditation on the Lord, his gross material
body, like the subtle air, can follow the mind anywhere. This perfection is called mano-javaḥ.

SB 11.15.22
yadā mana upādāya yad yad rūpaḿ bubhūṣati
tat tad bhaven mano-rūpaḿ mad-yoga-balam āśrayaḥ

SYNONYMS
yadā — when; manaḥ — the mind; upādāya — applying; yat yat — whatever; rūpam — form; bubhūṣati —
one desires to assume; tat tat — that very form; bhavet — may appear; manaḥ-rūpam — the form desired
by the mind; mat-yoga-balam — My inconceivable mystic potency, by which I manifest innumerable forms;
āśrayaḥ — being the shelter.

TRANSLATION
When the yogī, applying his mind in a certain way, desires to assume a particular form, that very form
immediately appears. Such perfection is possible by absorbing the mind in the shelter of My
inconceivable mystic potency, by which I assume innumerable forms.

PURPORT
This perfection is called kāma-rūpa, or the ability to assume any form that one desires, even the form of a
demigod. The pure devotees absorb their minds in a particular type of service to Lord Kṛṣṇa and thus
gradually assume a spiritual body for an eternal life of bliss and knowledge. Thus anyone who takes to the
process of chanting the holy names of Kṛṣṇa and follows the regulative principles of human life can acquire
the ultimate perfection of kāma-rūpa, assuming an eternal, spiritual body in the kingdom of God.

SB 11.15.23
para-kāyaḿ viśan siddha ātmānaḿ tatra bhāvayet
piṇḍaḿ hitvā viśet prāṇo vāyu-bhūtaḥ ṣaḍańghri-vat

SYNONYMS
para — of another; kāyam — the body; viśan — desiring to enter; siddhaḥ — one perfected in yoga
practice; ātmānam — oneself; tatra — in that body; bhāvayet — imagines; piṇḍam — one's own gross
body; hitvā — giving up; viśet — one should enter; prāṇaḥ — in the subtle body; vāyu-bhūtaḥ — becoming
just like the wind; ṣaṭ-ańghri-vat — like the bee, who easily moves from one flower to another.

TRANSLATION
When a perfect yogī desires to enter another's body, he should meditate upon himself within the other
body, and then, giving up his own gross body, he should enter the other's body through the pathways of
air, as easily as a bee leaves one flower and flies into another.

PURPORT
As air is inhaled into the body through the nostrils and mouth, similarly, the life air of the yogī's subtle body
travels through the pathways of external air and easily enters into the body of another person, just as the
bee easily flies from flower to flower. One may admire a heroic man or beautiful woman and desire to
experience life within their extraordinary material body. Such opportunities are available through the
mystic perfection called para-kāya-praveśanam. Pure devotees, being absorbed in meditation upon the
spiritual form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are not actually attracted to any material body. Thus
the devotees remain transcendental and satisfied on the platform of eternal life.

SB 11.15.24
pārṣṇyāpīḍya gudaḿ prāṇaḿ hṛd-uraḥ-kaṇṭha-mūrdhasu
 āropya brahma-randhreṇa brahma nītvotsṛjet tanum

SYNONYMS
pārṣṇyā — with the heel of the foot; āpīḍya — blocking; gudam — the anus; prāṇam — the vital air carrying
the living entity; hṛt — from the heart; uraḥ — to the chest; kaṇṭha — to the neck; mūrdhasu — and to the
head; āropya — placing; brahma-randhreṇa — by the spiritual seat at the top of the head; brahma — to the
spiritual world or impersonal Brahman (or any other destination one has selected); nītvā — leading (the
soul); utsṛjet — one should give up; tanum — the material body.

TRANSLATION
The yogī who has achieved the mystic perfection called svacchanda-mṛtyu blocks the anus with the heel
of the foot and then lifts the soul from the heart to the chest, to the neck and finally to the head.
Situated within the brahma-randhra, the yogī then gives up his material body and guides the spirit soul
to the selected destination.

PURPORT
This mystic opulence of svacchandu-mṛtyu, or dying at will, was wonderfully exhibited by Bhīṣmadeva at
the end of the Battle of Kurukṣetra. According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the term brahma, as used in this
verse, is an example of upalakṣaṇa, or the use of a general term to indicate various concepts. Brahma here
indicates the particular destination selected by the yogī, namely the spiritual sky, the impersonal
brahmajyoti or any other destination that has attracted the yogī's mind.

SB 11.15.25
vihariṣyan surākrīḍe mat-sthaḿ sattvaḿ vibhāvayet
vimānenopatiṣṭhanti sattva-vṛttīḥ sura-striyaḥ

SYNONYMS
vihariṣyan — desiring to enjoy; sura — of the demigods; ākrīḍe — in the pleasure gardens; mat — in Me;
stham — situated; sattvam — the mode of goodness; vibhāvayet — one should meditate on; vimānena —
by airplane; upatiṣṭhanti — they arrive; sattva — in the mode of goodness; vṛttīḥ — appearing; sura — of
the demigods; striyaḥ — the women.

TRANSLATION
The yogi who desires to enjoy in the pleasure gardens of the demigods should meditate on the purified
mode of goodness, which is situated within Me, and then the heavenly women, generated from the
mode of goodness, will approach him in airplanes.

SB 11.15.26
yathā sańkalpayed buddhyā yadā vā mat-paraḥ pumān
mayi satye mano yuñjaḿs tathā tat samupāśnute

SYNONYMS
yathā — by which means; sańkalpayet — one may determine or resolve; buddhyā — by the mind; yadā —
when; vā — or; mat-paraḥ — having faith in Me; pumān — the yogī; mayi — in Me; satye — whose desire
always becomes truth; manaḥ — the mind; yuñjan — absorbing; tathā — by that means; tat — that very
purpose; samupāśnute — he obtains.

TRANSLATION
A yogi who has faith in Me, absorbing his mind in Me and knowing that My purpose is always fulfilled,
will always achieve his purpose by the very means he has determined to follow.

PURPORT
 In this verse the word yadā ("whenever") indicates that by the mystic power called yathā-sańkalpa-
saḿsiddhi one will achieve one's objective even if one pursues it at an inauspicious time. Lord Kṛṣṇa is
called satya-sańkalpa, or He whose desire, intention, purpose or resolve always comes to pass.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura mentions that one should determine to revive one's lost
relationship with the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa through the infallible means of devotional service, which can be
executed at any time or in any place. There are many books giving proper guidance for achieving Lord
Kṛṣṇa, and the following are mentioned: Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī's Sańkalpa-kalpavṛkṣa, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja's
Śrī Govinda-līlāmṛta, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī's Śrī Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta and Sańkalpa-kalpadruma, and
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Śrī Gaurāńga-smaraṇa-mańgala. In the modern age, His Divine Grace A. C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda has given us over sixty large volumes of transcendental literature, which
can fix us firmly on the path back home, back to Godhead. Our sańkalpa, or determination, should be
practical and not useless. We should resolve to make a permanent solution to the problems of life by going
back home, back to Godhead.

SB 11.15.27
yo vai mad-bhāvam āpanna īśitur vaśituḥ pumān
kutaścin na vihanyeta tasya cājñā yathā mama

SYNONYMS
yaḥ — one who (a yogī); vai — indeed; mat — from Me; bhāvam — nature; āpannaḥ — achieved; īśituḥ —
from the supreme ruler; vaśituḥ — the supreme controller; pumān — a person (yogī); kutaścit — in any
way; na vihanyeta — cannot be frustrated; tasya — his; ca — also; ājñā — order, command; yathā — just
as; mama — Mine.

TRANSLATION
A person who perfectly meditates on Me acquires My nature of being the supreme ruler and controller.
His order, like Mine, can never be frustrated by any means.

PURPORT
By the command of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the entire creation is moving. As stated in
Bhagavad-gītā (9.10),
mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram
hetunānena kaunteya jagad viparivartate
"This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and
unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again." Similarly,
Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given His command that people all over the world should take to Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. The sincere devotees of the Lord should go all over the world repeating the Lord's
command. In this way, they can share in His mystic opulence of giving orders that cannot be counteracted.

SB 11.15.28
mad-bhaktyā śuddha-sattvasya yogino dhāraṇā-vidaḥ
tasya trai-kālikī buddhir janma-mṛtyūpabṛḿhitā

SYNONYMS
mat-bhaktyā — by devotion to Me; śuddha-sattvasya — of one whose existence is purified; yoginaḥ — of a
yogī; dhāraṇā-viduḥ — who knows the process of meditation; tasya — of him; trai-kālikī — functioning in
three phases of time, namely past, present and future; buddhiḥ — intelligence; janma-mṛtyu — birth and
death; upabṛḿhitā — including.

TRANSLATION
A yogī who has purified his existence by devotion to Me and who thus expertly knows the process of
meditation obtains knowledge of past, present and future. He can therefore see the birth and death of
himself and others.

PURPORT
 After having explained the eight primary and ten secondary mystic perfections of yoga, the Lord now
explains the five inferior potencies.

SB 11.15.29
agny-ādibhir na hanyeta muner yoga-mayaḿ vapuḥ
mad-yoga-śānta-cittasya yādasām udakaḿ yathā

SYNONYMS
agni — by fire; ādibhiḥ — and so on (sun, water, poison, etc.); na — not; hanyeta — can be injured; muneḥ
— of a wise yogī; yoga-mayam — fully cultivated in yoga science; vapuḥ — the body; mat-yoga — by
devotional connection with Me; śānta — pacified; cittasya — whose consciousness; yādasām — of the
aquatics; udakam — water; yathā — just as.

TRANSLATION
Just as the bodies of aquatics cannot be injured by water, similarly, the body of a yogi whose
consciousness is pacified by devotion to Me and who is fully developed in yoga science cannot be injured
by fire, sun, water, poison, and so forth.

PURPORT
The creatures dwelling in the ocean are never injured by water; rather, they enjoy life within the watery
medium. Similarly, for one skilled in the techniques of yoga, fending off attacks by weapons, fire, poison,
and so on, is a recreational activity. Prahlāda Mahārāja was attacked by his father in all these ways, but
because of his perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness he was not injured. The pure devotees of the Lord depend fully
on the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who possesses mystic opulences to an infinite degree and is therefore known
as Yogeśvara, the master of all mystic power. Because devotees are always connected to Lord Kṛṣṇa, they
do not feel any need to separately develop powers already possessed unlimitedly by their Lord, master and
protector.
If a human being falls into the middle of the ocean he quickly drowns, whereas the fish enjoy happiness
sporting in the same waves. Similarly, the conditioned souls have fallen into the ocean of material existence
and are drowning in the reactions to their sinful activities, whereas the devotees recognize this world to be
the potency of the Lord and enjoy pleasurable pastimes within it by fully engaging in the loving service of
Lord Kṛṣṇa.

SB 11.15.30
mad-vibhūtīr abhidhyāyan śrīvatsāstra-vibhūṣitāḥ
dhvajātapatra-vyajanaiḥ sa bhaved aparājitaḥ

SYNONYMS
mat — My; vibhūtīḥ — opulent incarnations; abhidhyāyan — meditating upon; śrīvatsa — with the Lord's
Śrīvatsa opulence; astra — and weapons; vibhūṣitāḥ — decorated; dhvaja — with flags; ātapatra — with
ceremonial umbrellas; vyajanaiḥ — and different types of fans; saḥ — he, the devotee-yogī; bhavet —
becomes; aparājitaḥ — unconquerable by others.

TRANSLATION
My devotee becomes unconquerable by meditating on My opulent incarnations, which are decorated
with Śrīvatsa and various weapons and are endowed with imperial paraphernalia such as flags,
ornamental umbrellas and fans.

PURPORT
The imperial paraphernalia of the Lord's opulent incarnations indicates His omnipotency, and the devotees
become unconquerable by meditating on the Lord's powerful, royally equipped incarnations. As stated by
Bilvamańgala Ṭhākura in Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta, verse 107,
bhaktis tvayi sthiratarā bhagavan yadi syād
daivena naḥ phalati divya-kiśora-mūrtiḥ
muktiḥ svayaḿ mukulitāñjaliḥ sevate 'smān
dharmārtha-kāma-gatayaḥ samaya-pratīkṣāḥ
 "My dear Lord, if we develop unflinching devotional service unto You, then automatically Your
transcendental, youthful form is revealed to us. Thus liberation herself waits with folded hands to serve us,
and the ultimate goals of religiosity, economic development and sense gratification patiently wait to render
service to us."

SB 11.15.31
upāsakasya mām evaḿ yoga-dhāraṇayā muneḥ
siddhayaḥ pūrva-kathitā upatiṣṭhanty aśeṣataḥ

SYNONYMS
upāsakasya — of one who is worshiping; mām — Me; evam — thus; yoga-dhāraṇayā — by the process of
mystic meditation; muneḥ — of a learned person; siddhayaḥ — the mystic perfections; pūrva — previously;
kathitāḥ — described; upatiṣṭhanti — approach; aśeṣataḥ — in all respects.

TRANSLATION
A learned devotee who worships Me through yoga meditation certainly obtains in all respects the mystic
perfections that I have described.

PURPORT
The word yoga-dhāraṇayā indicates that each devotee obtains the particular perfection for which he has
qualified himself. The Lord thus concludes His discussion of yoga-siddhis.

SB 11.15.32
jitendriyasya dāntasya jita-śvāsātmano muneḥ
mad-dhāraṇāḿ dhārayataḥ kā sā siddhiḥ su-durlabhā

SYNONYMS
jita-indriyasya — of one who has conquered his senses; dāntasya — who is disciplined and self-controlled;
jita-śvāsa — who has conquered his breathing; ātmanaḥ — and conquered the mind; muneḥ — of such a
sage; mat — in Me; dhāraṇām — meditation; dhārayataḥ — who is conducting; kā — what is; sā — that;
siddhiḥ — perfection; su-durlabhā — which is very difficult to achieve.

TRANSLATION
For a sage who has conquered his senses, breathing and mind, who is self-controlled and always
absorbed in meditation on Me, what mystic perfection could possibly be difficult to achieve?

PURPORT
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī comments as follows. "Lord Kṛṣṇa here expresses that there is no need to practice
many different processes, for by completely carrying out even one of the above-mentioned procedures one
controls one's senses, becomes absorbed in Him and thus achieves all mystic perfections."
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī notes that one must meditate on the transcendental form of the Lord, which is free from
any material designation. This is the essence of advancing in the yoga system; thus one acquires all mystic
perfections very easily from the personal body of the Personality of Godhead.

SB 11.15.33
antarāyān vadanty etā yuñjato yogam uttamam
mayā sampadyamānasya kāla-kṣapaṇa-hetavaḥ

SYNONYMS
antarāyān — impediments; vadanti — they say; etāḥ — these mystic perfections; yuñjataḥ — of one
engaging in; yogam — connection with the Absolute; uttamam — the supreme stage; mayā — with Me;
sampadyamānasya — of one who is becoming completely opulent; kāla — of time; kṣapaṇa — of the
interruption, waste; hetavaḥ — causes.

TRANSLATION
Learned experts in devotional service state that the mystic perfections of yoga that I have mentioned are
actually impediments and are a waste of time for one who is practicing the supreme yoga, by which one
achieves all perfection in life directly from Me.

PURPORT
It is common sense that whatever is a useless waste of time should be given up; therefore one should not
pray to God for mystic yoga perfections. For a pure devotee, who has no material desire, even impersonal
liberation is a useless disturbance in his life, and what to speak of the material perfections of yoga, which
cannot even be compared to impersonal liberation. Such mystic perfections may be wonderful for an
immature and inexperienced person, but they are not impressive for a learned man who has understood
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Simply by obtaining Lord Kṛṣṇa one dwells within an infinite ocean of
mystic opulences; therefore he should not waste precious time pursuing separate mystic perfections.

SB 11.15.34
janmauṣadhi-tapo-mantrair yāvatīr iha siddhayaḥ
yogenāpnoti tāḥ sarvā nānyair yoga-gatiḿ vrajet

SYNONYMS
janma — by birth; auṣadhi — herbs; tapaḥ — austerities; mantraiḥ — and by mantras; yāvatīḥ — as many
as there are; iha — in this world; siddhayaḥ — perfections; yogena — by devotional service to Me; āpnoti
— one obtains; tāḥ — those; sarvāḥ — all of them; na — not; anyaiḥ — by other methods; yoga-gatim —
the actual perfection of yoga; vrajet — one can achieve.

TRANSLATION
Whatever mystic perfections can be achieved by good birth, herbs, austerities and mantras can all be
achieved by devotional service to Me; indeed, one cannot achieve the actual perfection of yoga by any
other means.

PURPORT
By taking birth as a demigod one is automatically endowed with many mystic perfections. Simply by birth
on Siddhaloka one automatically acquires all of the eight principal perfections of yoga. Similarly, by birth as
a fish one becomes invulnerable to water, by birth as a bird one gets the mystic perfection of flying, and by
birth as a ghost one gets the mystic perfection of disappearing and entering into the bodies of others.
Patañjali Muni states that the mystic perfections of yoga can be achieved by birth, herbs, austerities and
mantras. The Lord states, however, that such perfections are ultimately a waste of time and an impediment
to achieving the actual perfection of yoga, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Those who give up the process of bhakti-yoga and shop around for other objects of meditation besides
Kṛṣṇa are certainly not very intelligent. Those who claim to be yogīs but pursue the satisfaction of their own
senses are certainly kuyogīs, or bhogi-yogīs. Such kuyogīs cannot understand that just as they have tiny
senses, the Absolute Truth has absolute senses, nor can they understand that yoga is actually meant to
satisfy the absolute senses of the Lord. Therefore, persons who give up the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa in order
to pursue so-called happiness in mystic perfection will undoubtedly be frustrated in their attempt. By
meditating exclusively on the Supreme Personality of Godhead one can achieve yoga-gati, the ultimate goal
of yoga, which means living on Lord Kṛṣṇa's planet and there enjoying spiritual opulences.

SB 11.15.35
sarvāsām api siddhīnāḿ hetuḥ patir ahaḿ prabhuḥ
ahaḿ yogasya sāńkhyasya dharmasya brahma-vādinām

SYNONYMS
sarvāsām — of all of them; api — indeed; siddhīnām — of the mystic perfections; hetuḥ — the cause; patiḥ
— the protector; aham — I am; prabhuḥ — the Lord; aham — I; yogasya — of unalloyed meditation on Me;
sāńkhyasya — of analytic knowledge; dharmasya — of work executed without personal desire; brahma-
vādinām — of the learned community of Vedic teachers.

TRANSLATION
 My dear Uddhava, I am the cause, the protector and the Lord of all mystic perfections, of the yoga
system, of analytic knowledge, of pure activity and of the community of learned Vedic teachers.

PURPORT
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the word yoga here indicates liberation from material life, and sāńkhya
indicates the means of obtaining liberation. Thus Lord Kṛṣṇa is not merely the Lord of material yoga
perfections, but of the highest liberated perfections as well. One can obtain sāńkhya, or knowledge leading
to liberation, by performing pious activities, and Lord Kṛṣṇa is also the cause, protector and Lord of such
activities as well as of the learned teachers who instruct ordinary people in the means of piety. In many
different ways Lord Kṛṣṇa is the real object of meditation and worship for every living entity. Lord Kṛṣṇa
through the expansion of His potencies is everything, and this simple understanding, called Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, is the supreme perfection of the yoga system.

SB 11.15.36
aham ātmāntaro bāhyo 'nāvṛtaḥ sarva-dehinām
yathā bhūtāni bhūteṣu bahir antaḥ svayaḿ tathā

SYNONYMS
aham — I; ātmā — the Supreme Lord; āntaraḥ — existing within as the Supersoul; bāhyaḥ — existing
externally in My all-pervading feature; anāvṛtaḥ — uncovered; sarva-dehinām — of all living entities; yathā
— just as; bhūtāni — the material elements; bhūteṣu — among living entities; bahiḥ — externally; antaḥ —
internally; svayam — Myself; tathā — in the same way.

TRANSLATION
Just as the same material elements exist within and outside of all material bodies, similarly, I cannot be
covered by anything else. I exist within everything as the Supersoul and outside of everything in My all-
pervading feature.

PURPORT
Lord Kṛṣṇa is the entire basis of meditation for all yogīs and philosophers, and here the Lord clarifies His
absolute position. Since the Lord is within everything, one might think that the Lord is divided into pieces.
However, the word anāvṛta, or "completely uncovered," indicates that nothing can interrupt, disturb or in
any way infringe upon the supreme existence of the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead. There is
no actual separation between the internal and external existence of the material elements, which
continuously exist everywhere. Similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is all-pervading and is the
ultimate perfection of everything.
 Chapter 16: The Lord's Opulence

SB 11.16.1
śrī-uddhava uvāca
tvaḿ brahma paramaḿ sākṣād anādy-antam apāvṛtam
sarveṣām api bhāvānāḿ trāṇa-sthity-apyayodbhavaḥ

SYNONYMS
śrī-uddhavaḥ uvāca — Śrī Uddhava said; tvam — You are; brahma — the greatest; paramam — the
supreme; sākṣāt — Himself; anādi — without beginning; antam — without end; apāvṛtam — unlimited by
anything else; sarveṣām — of all; api — indeed; bhāvānām — things which exist; trāṇa — the protector;
sthiti — the life-giver; apyaya — the destruction; udbhavaḥ — and the creation.

TRANSLATION
Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord, You are beginningless and endless, the Absolute Truth Himself, unlimited
by anything else. You are the protector and life-giver, the destruction and creation of all things that exist.

PURPORT
Brahma means the greatest of all and the cause of everything. Uddhava here addresses the Lord as the
paramam, or supreme brahma, because in His feature as Bhagavān the Lord is the highest feature of the
Absolute Truth and the shelter of unlimited spiritual opulences. Unlike those of ordinary living entities, the
Lord's opulences cannot be restricted by time, and thus the Lord is anādy-antam, without beginning or end,
and apāvṛtam, unhindered by any superior or equal potency. The opulence of the material world is also
resting within the Lord, who alone can protect, maintain, create and destroy the material world. In this
chapter, Śrī Uddhava inquires from the Lord about His spiritual and material opulences in order to refine his
appreciation of the Lord's position as the Absolute Truth. Even Lord Viṣṇu, the ultimate creator of the
material world, is an expansion of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and thus Śrī Uddhava wishes to fully appreciate the unique
status of his personal friend.

SB 11.16.2
uccāvaceṣu bhūteṣu durjñeyam akṛtātmabhiḥ
 upāsate tvāḿ bhagavan yāthā-tathyena brāhmaṇāḥ

SYNONYMS
ucca — in the superior; avaceṣu — and the inferior; bhūteṣu — created objects and entities; durjñeyam —
hard to understand; akṛta-ātmabhiḥ — by the impious; upāsate — they worship; tvām — You; bhagavan —
my dear Lord; yathā-tathyena — in truth; brāhmaṇāḥ — those dedicated to the Vedic conclusion.

TRANSLATION
My dear Lord, although it is difficult for the impious to understand that You are situated in all superior
and inferior creations, those brāhmaṇas who are actual knowers of the Vedic conclusion worship You in
truth.

PURPORT
The behavior of saintly persons is also to be taken as evidence, and therefore it is here stated that although
ignorant, impious persons are bewildered before the Lord's all-pervading feature, those with purified, clear
consciousness worship the Lord as He is. In this chapter śrī Uddhava inquires about the Lord's opulences,
and here the words uccāvaceṣu bhūteṣu ("within superior and inferior creations") clearly refer to the Lord's
external opulences, those manifested in the material world. The saintly brāhmaṇas, or Vaiṣṇavas, worship
Lord Kṛṣṇa within all things and yet recognize the variety in the Lord's creation. For example, in worshiping
the Deity, the devotees will select the nicest flowers, fruits and ornaments for decorating the
transcendental form of the Lord. Similarly, although the Lord is present in the heart of every conditioned
soul, the devotee will give more attention to a conditioned soul interested in the message of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Although the Lord is everywhere, the devotees make distinctions, for the sake of the Lord's service,
between His presence in superior (ucca) and inferior (avaceṣu) creations.

SB 11.16.3
yeṣu yeṣu ca bhūteṣu bhaktyā tvāḿ paramarṣayaḥ
upāsīnāḥ prapadyante saḿsiddhiḿ tad vadasva me

SYNONYMS
yeṣu yeṣu — in which various; ca — also; bhūteṣu — forms; bhaktyā — with devotion; tvām — You;
parama-ṛṣayaḥ — the great sages; upāsīnāḥ — worshiping; prapadyante — achieve; saḿsiddhim —
perfection; tat — that; vadasva — please speak; me — to me.

TRANSLATION
Please tell me of the perfections that great sages achieve by worshiping You with devotion. Also, kindly
explain which of Your different forms they worship.

PURPORT
Śrī Uddhava here inquires about the spiritual opulences of the Lord, which consist primarily of His viṣṇu-
tattva expansions such as Vāsudeva, Sańkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. By worshiping different
plenary expansions of the Lord one achieves particular perfections, and Śrī Uddhava wants to know about
this.

SB 11.16.4
gūḍhaś carasi bhūtātmā bhūtānāḿ bhūta-bhāvana
na tvāḿ paśyanti bhūtāni paśyantaḿ mohitāni te

SYNONYMS
gūḍhaḥ — hidden; carasi — You are engaged; bhūta-ātmā — the Supersoul; bhūtānām — of the living
entities; bhūta-bhāvana — O maintainer of all living beings; na — not; tvām — You; paśyanti — they see;
bhūtāni — living entities; paśyantam — who are seeing; mohitāni — bewildered; te — by You.

TRANSLATION
O my Lord, maintainer of all, although You are the Supersoul of the living entities, You remain hidden.
Thus being bewildered by You, the living entities cannot see You, although You are seeing them.
 PURPORT
The Lord exists as the Supersoul within everything. He also appears in various incarnations or sometimes
empowers a devotee to act as an incarnation. All such forms of the Lord are unknown to the nondevotees.
The bewildered conditioned souls think that the supreme enjoyer, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is actually meant to be enjoyed
by them for their sense gratification. Praying to God for specific material benedictions and assuming God's
creation to be their personal property, the nondevotees cannot understand the actual form of the Lord.
They therefore remain foolish and bewildered. Within the universe everything is subject to creation,
maintenance and destruction, and thus the Supersoul is the only actual controller in the material world.
Unfortunately, when the Supersoul appears in various incarnations to clarify His position, ignorant persons
think that the Supersoul is merely another creation of the modes of material nature. As stated in this verse,
they cannot see that person who is actually seeing them, and simply remain bewildered.

SB 11.16.5
yāḥ kāś ca bhūmau divi vai rasāyāḿ
vibhūtayo dikṣu mahā-vibhūte
tā mahyam ākhyāhy anubhāvitās te
namāmi te tīrtha-padāńghri-padmam

SYNONYMS
yāḥ kāḥ — whatever; ca — also; bhūmau — on the earth; divi — in heaven; vai — indeed; rasāyām — in
hell; vibhūtayaḥ — potencies; dikṣu — in all directions; mahā-vibhūte — O supremely potent; tāḥ — those;
mahyam — unto me; ākhyāhi — please explain; anubhāvitāḥ — manifested; te — by You; namāmi — I
offer my humble obeisances; te — Your; tīrtha-pada — the abode of all holy places; ańghri-padmam — at
the lotus feet.

TRANSLATION
O supremely potent Lord, please explain to me Your innumerable potencies, which You manifest on the
earth, in heaven, in hell and indeed in all directions. I offer my humble obeisances at Your lotus feet,
which are the shelter of all holy places.

PURPORT
Uddhava here inquires about the Lord's material and spiritual potencies, as manifested within our universe.
Just as ordinary animals or insects living in human cities cannot appreciate the scientific, cultural or military
achievements of man, similarly, foolish materialists cannot appreciate the mighty opulences of the
Personality of Godhead, even those manifested within our universe. For the appreciation of ordinary
human beings Uddhava requests the Lord to reveal exactly how and in what forms He expands His
potencies. As already explained, the Lord is the essential ingredient of all that exists, and thus any mighty or
opulent manifestation must ultimately rest on the Lord Himself.

SB 11.16.6
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
evam etad ahaḿ pṛṣṭaḥ praśnaḿ praśna-vidāḿ vara
yuyutsunā vinaśane sapatnair arjunena vai

SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; evam — thus; etat — this; aham — I;
pṛṣṭaḥ — was asked; praśnam — the question or topic; praśna-vidām — of those who know how to inquire;
vara — you who are the best; yuyutsunā — by him who desired to fight; vinaśane — in the Battle of
Kurukṣetra; sapatnaiḥ — with his rivals or enemies; arjunena — by Arjuna; vai — indeed.

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O best of those who know how to inquire, on the Battlefield
of Kurukṣetra, Arjuna, desiring to fight with his rivals, asked Me the same question that you are now
posing.

PURPORT
Lord Kṛṣṇa was pleased that His two friends, Arjuna and Uddhava, had posed the same question regarding
the opulences of the Personality of Godhead. Lord Kṛṣṇa considered it wonderful that His two dear friends
had asked exactly the same question.

SB 11.16.7
jñātvā jñāti-vadhaḿ garhyam adharmaḿ rājya-hetukam
tato nivṛtto hantāhaḿ hato 'yam iti laukikaḥ

SYNONYMS
jñātvā — being aware; jñāti — of his relatives; vadham — the killing; garhyam — abominable; adharmam —
irreligion; rājya — to acquire a kingdom; hetukam — having as the motive; tataḥ — from such activity;
nivṛttaḥ — retired; haratā — the killer; aham — I am; hataḥ — killed; ayam — this group of relatives; iti —
thus; laukikaḥ — mundane.

TRANSLATION
On the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra Arjuna thought that killing his relatives would be an abominable,
irreligious activity, motivated only by his desire to acquire a kingdom. He therefore desisted from the
battle, thinking, "I would be the killer of my relatives. They would be destroyed." Thus Arjuna was
afflicted with mundane consciousness.

PURPORT
Lord Kṛṣṇa here explains to Uddhava the circumstances in which Śrī Arjuna posed his questions.

SB 11.16.8
sa tadā puruṣa-vyāghro yuktyā me pratibodhitaḥ
abhyabhāṣata mām evaḿ yathā tvaḿ raṇa-mūrdhani

SYNONYMS
saḥ — he; tadā — at that time; puruṣa-vyāghraḥ — the tiger among men; yuktyā — by logical argument;
me — by Me; pratibodhitaḥ — enlightened in real knowledge; abhyabhāṣata — addressed questions; mām
— to Me; evam — thus; yathā — just as; tvam — you; raṇa — of the battle; mūrdhani — in the front.

TRANSLATION
At that time I enlightened Arjuna, the tiger among men, with logical arguments, and thus in the front of
the battle Arjuna addressed Me with questions in the same way that you are now inquiring.

SB 11.16.9
aham ātmoddhavāmīṣāḿ bhūtānāḿ suhṛd īśvaraḥ
ahaḿ sarvāṇi bhūtāni teṣāḿ sthity-udbhavāpyayaḥ

SYNONYMS
aham — I am; ātmā — the Supersoul; uddhava — O Uddhava; amīṣām — of these; bhūtānām — living
entities; su-hṛt — the well-wisher; īśvaraḥ — the supreme controller; aham — I am; sarvāṇi bhūtāni — all
entities; teṣām — of them; sthiti — the maintenance; udbhava — creation; apyayaḥ — and annihilation.

TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, I am the Supersoul of all living entities, and therefore I am naturally their well-wisher
and supreme controller. Being the creator, maintainer and annihilator of all entities, I am not different
from them.

PURPORT
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī points out that the Personality of Godhead maintains an ablative and genitive
relationship with His opulences. In other words, the Lord is not different from all living entities, because
they are coming from Him and they belong to Him. The Lord gave a similar explanation to Arjuna in the
Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā (10.20), beginning with the same words, aham ātmā. Although the Lord
describes His external, or material, opulences, the Lord's position is always transcendental and
nonmaterial. Just as the living soul within the body gives life to the body, similarly, the Lord, by His supreme
potency, gives life to all universal opulences.

SB 11.16.10
ahaḿ gatir gatimatāḿ kālaḥ kalayatām aham
gunāṇāḿ cāpy ahaḿ sāmyaḿ guṇiny autpattiko guṇaḥ

SYNONYMS
aham — I am; gatiḥ — the ultimate goal; gati-matām — of those who seek progress; kālaḥ — time;
kalayatām — of those who exert control; aham — I am; gunāṇām — of the modes of material nature; ca —
also; api — even; aham — I am; sāmyam — material equilibrium; guṇini — in the pious; autpattikaḥ —
natural; guṇaḥ — virtue.

TRANSLATION
I am the ultimate goal of all those seeking progress, and I am time among those who exert control. I am
the equilibrium of the modes of material nature, and I am natural virtue among the pious.

SB 11.16.11
guṇinām apy ahaḿ sūtraḿ mahatāḿ ca mahān aham
sūkṣmāṇām apy ahaḿ jīvo durjayānām ahaḿ manaḥ

SYNONYMS
guṇinām — among things possessing qualities; api — indeed; aham — I am; sūtram — the primary sūtra-
tattva; mahatām — among great things; ca — also; mahān — the total material manifestation; aham — I
am; sūkṣmāṇām — among subtle things; api — indeed; aham — I am; jīvaḥ — the spirit soul; durjayānām
— among things difficult to conquer; aham — I am; manaḥ — the mind.

TRANSLATION
Among things possessing qualities I am the primary manifestation of nature, and among great things I am
the total material creation. Among subtle things I am the spirit soul, and of things that are difficult to
conquer I am the mind.

SB 11.16.12
hiraṇyagarbho vedānāḿ mantrāṇāḿ praṇavas tri-vṛt
akṣarāṇām a-kāro 'smi padāni cchandusām aham

SYNONYMS
hiraṇya-garbhaḥ — Lord Brahmā; vedānām — of the Vedas; mantrāṇām — of mantras; praṇavaḥ — the
oḿkāra; tri-vṛt — consisting of three letters; akṣarāṇām — of letters; a-kāraḥ — the first letter, a; asmi — I
am; padāni — the three-line Gāyatrī mantra; chandasām — among sacred meters; aham — I am.

TRANSLATION
Among the Vedas I am their original teacher, Lord Brahmā, and of all mantras I am the three-lettered
oḿkāra. Among letters I am the first letter, "a," and among sacred meters I am the Gāyatrī mantra.

SB 11.16.13
indro 'haḿ sarva-devānāḿ vasūnām asmi havya-vāṭ
ādityānām ahaḿ viṣṇū rudrāṇāḿ nīla-lohitaḥ

SYNONYMS
indraḥ — Lord Indra; aham — I am; sarva-devānām — among the demigods; vasūnām — among the Vasus;
asmi — I am; havya-vāṭ — the carrier of oblations, the fire-god Agni; ādityānām — among the sons of Aditi;
aham — I am; viṣṇuḥ — Viṣṇu; rudrāṇām — among the Rudras; nīla-lohitaḥ — Lord Śiva.

TRANSLATION
 Among the demigods I am Indra, and among the Vasus I am Agni, the god of fire. I am Viṣṇu among the
sons of Aditi, and among the Rudras I am Lord Śiva.

PURPORT
Lord Viṣṇu appeared among the sons of Aditi as Vāmanadeva.

SB 11.16.14
brahmarṣīṇāḿ bhṛgur ahaḿ rājarṣīṇām ahaḿ manuḥ
devarṣīṇāḿ nārado 'haḿ havirdhāny asmi dhenuṣu

SYNONYMS
brahma-ṛṣīṇām — among the saintly brāhmaṇas; bhṛguḥ — Bhṛgu Muni; aham — I am; rāja-ṛṣīṇām —
among the saintly kings; aham — I am; manuḥ — Manu; deva-ṛṣīṇām — among the saintly demigods;
nāradaḥ — Nārada Muni; aham — I am; havirdhānī — Kāmadhenu; asmi — I am; dhenuṣu — among cows.

TRANSLATION
Among saintly brāhmaṇas I am Bhṛgu Muni, and I am Manu among saintly kings. I am Nārada Muni
among saintly demigods, and I am Kāmadhenu among cows.

SB 11.16.15
siddheśvarāṇāḿ kapilaḥ suparṇo 'haḿ patatriṇām
prajāpatīnāḿ dakṣo 'haḿ pitṝṇām aham aryamā

SYNONYMS
siddha-īśvarāṇām — among perfected beings; kapilaḥ — I am Lord Kapila; suparṇaḥ — Garuḍa; aham — I
am; patatriṇām — among birds; prajāpatīnām — among the progenitors of mankind; dakṣaḥ — Dakṣa;
aham — I am; pitṝṇām — among the forefathers; aham — I am; aryamā — Aryamā.

TRANSLATION
I am Lord Kapila among perfected beings and Garuḍa among birds. I am Dakṣa among the progenitors of
mankind, and I am Aryamā among the forefathers.

SB 11.16.16
māḿ viddhy uddhava daityānāḿ prahlādam asureśvaram
somaḿ nakṣatrauṣadhīnāḿ dhaneśaḿ yakṣa-rakṣasām

SYNONYMS
mām — Me; viddhi — you should know; uddhava — My dear Uddhava; daityānām — among the sons of
Diti, the demons; prahlādam — Prahlāda Mahārāja; asura-īśvaram — the lord of the asuras; somam — the
moon; nakṣatra-oṣadhīnām — among the stars and herbs; dhana-īśam — the lord of wealth, Kuvera; yakṣa-
rakṣasām — among the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas.

TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, among the demoniac sons of Diti know Me to be Prahlāda Mahārāja, the saintly lord
of the asuras. Among the stars and herbs I am their lord, Candra (the moon), and among Yakṣas and
Rākṣasas I am the lord of wealth, Kuvera.

SB 11.16.17
airāvataḿ gajendrāṇāḿ yādasāḿ varuṇaḿ prabhum
tapatāḿ dyumatāḿ sūryaḿ manuṣyāṇāḿ ca bhū-patim

SYNONYMS
airāvatam — the elephant Airāvata; gaja-indrāṇām — among lordly elephants; yādasām — among aquatics;
varuṇam — Varuṇa; prabhum — the lord of seas; tapatām — among things that heat; dyu-matām —
among things that illuminate; sūryam — I am the sun; manuṣyāṇām — among human beings; ca — also;
bhū-patim — the king.
 TRANSLATION
I am Airāvata among lordly elephants, and among aquatics I am Varuna, the lord of the seas. Among all
things that heat and illuminate I am the sun, and among human beings I am the king.

PURPORT
It is significant to know that Lord Kṛṣṇa is represented within this universe by the lord or supreme in all
categories. No one can be as aristocratic and perfect as Śrī Kṛṣṇa, nor can anyone estimate the glories of Śrī
Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa is without doubt the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 11.16.18
uccaiḥśravās turańgāṇāḿ dhātūnām asmi kāñcanam
yamaḥ saḿyamatāḿ cāham sarpāṇām asmi vāsukiḥ

SYNONYMS
uccaiḥśravāḥ — the horse Uccaiḥśravā; turańgāṇām — among horses; dhātūnām — among metals; asmi
— I am; kāñcanam — gold; yamaḥ — Yamarāja; saḿyamatām — among those who punish and suppress; ca
— also; aham — I; sarpāṇām — among serpents; asmi — am; vāsukiḥ — Vāsuki.

TRANSLATION
Among horses I am Uccaiḥśravā, and I am gold among metals. I am Yamarāja among those who suppress
and punish, and among serpents I am Vāsuki.

SB 11.16.19
nāgendrāṇām ananto 'haḿ mṛgendraḥ śṛńgi-daḿṣṭriṇām
āśramāṇām ahaḿ turyo varṇānāḿ prathamo 'nagha

SYNONYMS
nāga-indrāṇām — among the best of many-hooded snakes; anantaḥ — Anantadeva; aham — I am; mṛga-
indraḥ — the lion; śṛńgi-daḿṣṭriṇām — among animals with sharp horns and teeth; āśramāṇām — among
the four social orders of life; aham — I am; turyaḥ — the fourth, sannyāsa; varṇānām — among the four
occupational orders; prathamaḥ — the first, the brāhmaṇas; anagha — O sinless one.

TRANSLATION
O sinless Uddhava, among the best of snakes I am Anantadeva, and among those animals with sharp
horns and teeth I am the lion. Among the social orders I am the fourth, or the renounced order of life,
and among the occupational divisions I am the first, the brāhmaṇas.

SB 11.16.20
tīrthānāḿ srotasāḿ gańgā samudraḥ sarasām aham
āyudhānāḿ dhanur ahaḿ tripura-ghno dhanuṣmatām

SYNONYMS
tirthānām — among holy places; srotasām — among flowing things; gańgā — the sacred Ganges; samudraḥ
— the ocean; sarasām — among steady bodies of water; aham — I am; āyudhānām — among weapons;
dhanuḥ — the bow; aham — I am; tri-pura-ghnaḥ — Lord Śiva; dhanuḥ-matām — among those who wield
the bow.

TRANSLATION
Among sacred and flowing things I am the holy Ganges, and among steady bodies of water I am the
ocean. Among weapons I am the bow, and of the wielders of weapons I am Lord Śiva.

PURPORT
Lord Śiva used his bow to completely cover with arrows the three demoniac cities built by Maya Dānava.

SB 11.16.21
 dhiṣṇyānām asmy ahaḿ merur gahanānāḿ himālayaḥ
vanaspatīnām aśvattha oṣadhīnām ahaḿ yavaḥ

SYNONYMS
dhiṣṇyānām — residences; asmi — am; aham — I; meruḥ — Mount Sumeru; gahanānām — of impervious
places; himālayaḥ — the Himalayas; vanaspatīnām — among trees; aśvatthaḥ — banyan tree; oṣadhīnām
— among plants; aham — I; yavaḥ — barley.

TRANSLATION
Among residences I am Mount Sumeru, and of impervious places I am the Himalayas. Among trees I am
the holy fig tree, and among plants I am those that bear grains.

PURPORT
Oṣadhīnām here indicates those plants that fructify once and then die. Among them, those that give grains,
which sustain human life, represent Kṛṣṇa. Without grains it is not possible to produce milk products, nor
can one properly perform Vedic fire sacrifices without offerings of grains.

SB 11.16.22
purodhasāḿ vasiṣṭho 'haḿ brahmiṣṭhānāḿ bṛhaspatiḥ
skando 'haḿ sarva-senānyām agraṇyāḿ bhagavān ajaḥ

SYNONYMS
purodhasām — among priests; vasiṣṭhaḥ — Vasiṣṭha Muni; aham — I am; brahmiṣṭhānām — among those
fixed in the Vedic conclusion and purpose; bṛhaspatiḥ — Bṛhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods;
skandaḥ — Kārtikeya; aham — I am; sarva-senānyām — among all military leaders; agraṇyām — among
those advancing in pious life; bhagavān — the great personality; ajaḥ — Lord Brahmā.

TRANSLATION
Among priests I am Vasiṣṭha Muni, and among those highly situated in Vedic culture I am Bṛhaspati. I am
Kārtikeya among great military leaders, and among those advancing in superior ways of life I am the
great personality Lord Brahmā.

SB 11.16.23
yajñānāḿ brahma-yajño 'haḿ vratānām avihiḿsanam
vāyv-agny-arkāmbu-vāg-ātmā śucīnām apy ahaḿ śuciḥ

SYNONYMS
yajñānām — of sacrifices; brahma-yajñaḥ — study of the Veda; aham — I am; vratānām — of vows;
avihiḿsanam — nonviolence; vāyu — wind; agni — fire; arka — the sun; ambu — water; vāk — and speech;
ātmā — personified; śucīnām — of all purifiers; api — indeed; aham — I am; śuciḥ — pure.

TRANSLATION
Among sacrifices I am study of the Veda, and I am nonviolence among vows. Among all things that purify
I am the wind, fire, the sun, water and speech.

SB 11.16.24
yogānām ātma-saḿrodho mantro 'smi vijigīṣatām
ānvīkṣikī kauśalānāḿ vikalpaḥ khyāti-vādinām

SYNONYMS
yogānām — among the eight stages of yoga practice (aṣṭāńga); ātma-saḿrodhaḥ — the ultimate stage,
samādhi, in which the soul is completely separated from illusion; mantraḥ — prudent political counsel; asmi
— I am; vijigīṣatām — among those desiring victory; ānvīkṣikī — spiritual science, by which one can
distinguish between matter and spirit; kauśalānām — among all processes of expert discrimination;
vikalpaḥ — diversity of perception; khyāti-vādinām — among the speculative philosophers.

TRANSLATION
Among the eight progressive states of yoga I am the final stage, samādhi, in which the soul is completely
separated from illusion. Among those desiring victory I am prudent political counsel, and among
processes of expert discrimination I am the science of the soul, by which one distinguishes spirit from
matter. Among all speculative philosophers I am diversity of perception.

PURPORT
Any science is based on the faculty of expert discrimination. By skillful definition of isolated and interactive
components one becomes expert in any field. Ultimately the most intelligent person can isolate the spirit
soul from matter and describe the properties of matter and spirit as both isolated and interactive
components of reality. The proliferation of innumerable philosophical speculations is due to differing
modes of perception within the material world. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15), sarvasya cāhaḿ hṛdi
sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaḿ ca: the Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated in
everyone's heart and awards a particular degree of knowledge or ignorance according to one's desire and
merit. Thus the Lord Himself is the basis of the mundane process of philosophical speculation, for He
creates differing and alternating modes of perception within the conditioned souls. It is to be understood
that one can acquire perfect knowledge only by hearing directly from Lord Kṛṣṇa and not by hearing from
conditioned philosophers who imperfectly perceive the creation of the Lord through the screen of their
personal desires.

SB 11.16.25
strīṇāḿ tu śatarūpāhaḿ puḿsāḿ svāyambhuvo manuḥ
nārāyaṇo munīnāḿ ca kumāro brahmacāriṇām

SYNONYMS
strīṇām — among ladies; tu — indeed; śatarūpā — Śatarūpā; aham — I am; puḿsām — among male
personalities; svāyambhuvaḥ manuḥ — the great prajāpati Svāyambhuva Manu; nārāyaṇaḥ — the sage
Nārāyaṇa; munīnām — among saintly sages; ca — also; kumāraḥ — Sanat-kumāra; brahmacāriṇām —
among brahmacārīs.

TRANSLATION
Among ladies I am Śatarūpā, and among male personalities I am her husband, Svāyambhuva Manu. I am
Nārāyaṇa among the sages and Sanat-kumāra among brahmacārīs.

SB 11.16.26
dharmāṇām asmi sannyāsaḥ kṣemāṇām abahir-matiḥ
guhyānāḿ su-nṛtaḿ maunaḿ mithunānām ajas tv aham

SYNONYMS
dharmāṇām — among religious principles; asmi — I am; sannyāsaḥ — renunciation; kṣemāṇām — among
all types of security; abahiḥ-matiḥ — awareness within (of the eternal soul); guhyānām — of secrets;
sunṛtam — pleasant speech; maunam — silence; mithunānām — of sexual pairs; ajaḥ — Brahmā, the
original prajāpati; tu — indeed; aham — I am.

TRANSLATION
Among religious principles I am renunciation, and of all types of security I am consciousness of the
eternal soul within. Of secrets I am pleasant speech and silence, and among sexual pairs I am Brahmā.

PURPORT
One who realizes the eternal soul within no longer fears any material situation and thus is qualified to
accept the renounced order of life, sannyāsa. Certainly fear is one of the great miseries of material life;
therefore the gift of fearlessness is very valuable and represents Lord Kṛṣṇa. Both in ordinary pleasant
speech and silence, very few confidential things are revealed, and thus diplomacy and silence are both aids
to secrecy. Lord Brahmā is prominent among sexual pairs because the original beautiful couple,
Svāyambhuva Manu and Śatarūpā, emerged from Lord Brahmā's body, as explained in Chapter Twelve of
the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

SB 11.16.27
 saḿvatsaro 'smy animiṣām ṛtūnāḿ madhu-mādhavau
māsānāḿ mārgaśīrṣo 'haḿ nakṣatrāṇāḿ tathābhijit

SYNONYMS
saḿvatsaraḥ — the year; asmi — I am; animiṣām — among the vigilant cycles of time; ṛtūnām — among
seasons; madhu-mādhavau — spring; māsānām — among months; mārgaśīrṣaḥ — Mārgaśīrṣa (November-
December); aham — I am; nakṣatrāṇām — among asterisms; tathā — similarly; abhijit — Abhijit.

TRANSLATION
Among the vigilant cycles of time I am the year, and among seasons I am spring. Among months I am
Mārgaśīrṣa, and among lunar houses I am the auspicious Abhijit.

SB 11.16.28
ahaḿ yugānāḿ ca kṛtaḿ dhīrāṇāḿ devalo 'sitaḥ
dvaipāyano 'smi vyāsānāḿ kavīnāḿ kāvya ātmavān

SYNONYMS
aham — I am; yugānām — among ages; ca — also; kṛtam — Satya-yuga; dhīrāṇām — among steady sages;
devalaḥ — Devala; asitaḥ — Asita; dvaipāyanaḥ — Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana; asmi — I am; vyāsānām — among
the editors of the Vedas; kavīnām — among learned scholars; kāvyaḥ — Śukrācārya; ātma-vān — learned
in spiritual science.

TRANSLATION
Among ages I am the Satya-yuga, the age of truth, and among steady sages I am Devala and Asita. Among
those who have divided the Vedas I am Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vedavyāsa, and among learned scholars I am
Śukrācārya, the knower of spiritual science.

SB 11.16.29
vāsudevo bhagavatāḿ tvaḿ tu bhāgavateṣv aham
kimpuruṣānāḿ hanumān vidyādhrāṇāḿ sudarśanaḥ

SYNONYMS
vāsudevaḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhagavatām — of those entitled to the name
Bhagavān; tvam — you; tu — indeed; bhāgavateṣu — among My devotees; aham — I am; kimpuruṣāṇām —
among the Kimpuruṣas; hanumān — Hanumān; vidyādhrāṇām — among the Vidyādharas; sudarśanaḥ —
Sudarśana.

TRANSLATION
Among those entitled to the name Bhagavān I am Vāsudeva, and indeed, you, Uddhava, represent Me
among the devotees. I am Hanumān among the Kimpuruṣas, and among the Vidyādharas I am Sudarśana.

PURPORT
The Vedic literatures state that one who possesses perfect knowledge of the creation and destruction of all
entities and who is completely situated in omniscience is to be known as the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Bhagavān. Although many great personalities are sometimes called Bhagavān, ultimately
Bhagavān is the one supreme entity who possesses unlimited opulences. Throughout history, many
important personalities have been addressed as "lord," but ultimately there is only one Supreme Lord. In
the Lord's catur-vyūha, or quadruple expansion, the first manifestation is Vāsudeva, who here represents
all of the Lord's expansions in the viṣṇu-tattva category.

SB 11.16.30
ratnānāḿ padma-rāgo 'smi padma-kośaḥ su-peśasām
kuśo 'smi darbha-jātīnāḿ gavyam ājyaḿ haviḥṣv aham

SYNONYMS
ratnānām — of jewels; padma-rāgaḥ — the ruby; asmi — I am; padma-kośaḥ — the lotus cup; su-peśasām
— among beautiful things; kuśaḥ — the sacred kuśa grass; asmi — I am; darbha-jātīnām — among all types
of grass; gavyam — cow products; ājyam — offering of ghee; haviḥṣu — among oblations; aham — I am.

TRANSLATION
Among jewels I am the ruby, and among beautiful things I am the lotus cup. Among all types of grass I am
the sacred kuśa, and of oblations I am ghee and other ingredients obtained from the cow.

PURPORT
Pañca-gavya refers to five sacrificial ingredients obtained from the cow, namely milk, ghee, yogurt, dung
and urine. The cow is so valuable that even its dung and urine are antiseptic and fit for sacrificial offering.
Kuśa grass is also used for religious occasions. Mahārāja Parīkṣit constructed a sitting place from kuśa grass
during the last week of his life. Among beautiful things the lotus cup formed by lotus petals represents Lord
Kṛṣṇa, and among jewels the ruby, which is similar to Lord Kṛṣṇa's own Kaustubha gem, symbolizes the
potency of the Lord.

SB 11.16.31
vyavasāyinām ahaḿ lakṣmīḥ kitavānāḿ chala-grahaḥ
titikṣāsmi titikṣūṇāḿ sattvaḿ sattvavatām aham

SYNONYMS
vyavasāyinām — of the enterprising; aham — I am; lakṣmīḥ — fortune; kitavānām — of cheaters; chala-
grahaḥ — the gambling; titikṣā — the forgiveness; asmi — I am; titikṣūṇām — among the tolerant; sattvam
— the goodness; sattva-vatām — among those in the mode of goodness; aham — I am.

TRANSLATION
Among the enterprising I am fortune, and among the cheaters I am gambling. I am the forgiveness of the
tolerant and the good qualities of those in the mode of goodness.

SB 11.16.32
ojaḥ saho balavatāḿ karmāhaḿ viddhi sātvatām
sātvatāḿ nava-mūrtīnām ādi-mūrtir ahaḿ parā

SYNONYMS
ojaḥ — the sensory strength; sahaḥ — and mental strength; balavatām — of the strong; karma — the
devotional activities; aham — I am; viddhi — please know; sātvatām — among the devotees; sātvatām —
among those devotees; nava-mūrtīnām — who worship Me in nine forms; ādi-mūrtiḥ — the original form,
Vāsudeva; aham — I am; parā — the Supreme.

TRANSLATION
Of the powerful I bodily and mental strength, and I am the devotional activities of My devotees. My
devotees worship Me in nine different forms, among which I am the original and primary Vāsudeva.

PURPORT
Generally, the Vaiṣṇavas worship the Personality of Godhead as Vāsudeva, Sańkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna,
Aniruddha, Nārāyaṇa, Hayagrīva, Varāha, Nṛsiḿha and Brahmā. It is understood that when a suitable living
entity is not available to fill the post of Brahmā, the Lord Himself assumes the position; therefore Lord
Brahmā is mentioned in the list. Lord Viṣṇu sometimes appears as Indra and sometimes as Brahmā, and it is
Viṣṇu appearing as Brahmā who is indicated in this connection.

SB 11.16.33
viśvāvasuḥ pūrvacittir gandharvāpsarasām aham
bhūdharāṇām ahaḿ sthairyaḿ gandha-mātram ahaḿ bhuvaḥ

SYNONYMS
 viśvāvasuḥ — Viśvāvasu; pūrvacittiḥ — Pūrvacitti; gandharva-apsarasām — among the Gandharvas and
Apsarās; aham — I am; bhūdharāṇām — of the mountains; aham — I am; sthairyam — the steadiness;
gandha-mātram — the perception of aroma; aham — I am; bhuvaḥ — of the earth.

TRANSLATION
Among the Gandharvas I am Viśvāvasu, and I am Pūrvacitti among the heavenly Apsaras. I am the
steadiness of mountains and the fragrant aroma of the earth.

PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gītā (7.9) Lord Kṛṣṇa says, puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāḿ ca: "I am the fragrance of the earth." The
original fragrance of the earth is very pleasing and represents Lord Kṛṣṇa. Although unpleasant aromas may
be artificially produced, they do not represent the Lord.

SB 11.16.34
apāḿ rasaś ca paramas tejiṣṭhānāḿ vibhāvasuḥ
prabhā sūryendu-tārāṇāḿ śabdo 'haḿ nabhasaḥ paraḥ

SYNONYMS
apām — of water; rasaḥ — the taste; ca — also; paramaḥ — excellent; tejiṣṭhānām — among most brilliant
things; vibhāvasuḥ — the sun; prabhā — the effulgence; sūrya — of the sun; indu — the moon; tārāṇām —
and the stars; śabdaḥ — the sound vibration; aham — I am; nabhasaḥ — of the sky; paraḥ —
transcendental.

TRANSLATION
I am the sweet taste of water, and among brilliant things I am the sun. I am the effulgence of the sun,
moon and stars, and I am the transcendental sound that vibrates in the sky.

SB 11.16.35
brahmaṇyānāḿ balir ahaḿ vīrāṇām aham arjunaḥ
bhūtānāḿ sthitir utpattir ahaḿ vai pratisańkramaḥ

SYNONYMS
brahmaṇyānām — of those dedicated to brahminical culture; baliḥ — Bali Mahārāja, the son of Virocana;
aham — I am; vīrāṇām — of heroes; aham — I am; arjunaḥ — Arjuna; bhūtānām — of all living beings;
sthitiḥ — the maintenance; utpattiḥ — the creation; aham — I am; vai — indeed; pratisańkramaḥ — the
annihilation.

TRANSLATION
Among those dedicated to brahminical culture I am Bali Mahārāja, the son of Virocana, and I am Arjuna
among heroes. Indeed, I am the creation, maintenance and annihilation of all living entities.

SB 11.16.36
gaty-ukty-utsargopādānam ānanda-sparśa-lakṣanam
āsvāda-śruty-avaghrāṇam ahaḿ sarvendriyendriyam

SYNONYMS
gati — movement of the legs (walking, running, etc.); ukti — speech; utsarga — evacuation; upādānam —
accepting with the hands; ānanda — the material pleasure of the sex organs; sparśa — touch; lakṣaṇam —
sight; āsvāda — taste; śruti — hearing; avaghrāṇam — smell; aham — I am; sarva-indriya — of all the
senses; indriyam — the potency to experience their objects.

TRANSLATION
I am the functions of the five working senses — the legs, speech, anus, hands and sex organs — as well as
those of the five knowledge-acquiring senses — touch, sight, taste, hearing and smell. I am also the
potency by which each of the senses experiences its particular sense object.
 SB 11.16.37
pṛthivī vāyur ākāśa āpo jyotir ahaḿ mahān
vikāraḥ puruṣo 'vyaktaḿ rajaḥ sattvaḿ tamaḥ param
aham etat prasańkhyānaḿ jñānaḿ tattva-viniścayaḥ

SYNONYMS
pṛthivī — the subtle form of earth, aroma; vāyuḥ — the subtle form of air, touch; ākāśaḥ — the subtle
form of sky, sound; āpaḥ — the subtle form of water, taste; jyotiḥ — the subtle form of fire, form; aham —
false ego; mahān — the mahat-tattva; vikāraḥ — the sixteen elements (earth, water, fire, air and sky, the
five working senses, the five knowledge-acquiring senses and the mind); puruṣaḥ — the living entity;
avyaktam — material nature, prakṛti; rajaḥ — the mode of passion; sattvam — the mode of goodness;
tamaḥ — the mode of ignorance; param — the Supreme Lord; aham — I am; etat — this; prasańkhyānam
— all that has been enumerated; jñānam — knowledge of the above-mentioned elements by individual
symptoms; tattva-viniścayaḥ — steady conviction, which is the fruit of knowledge.

TRANSLATION
I am form, taste, aroma, touch and sound; false ego; the mahat-tattva; earth, water, fire, air and sky; the
living entity; material nature; the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance; and the transcendental
Lord. All these items, along with knowledge of their individual symptoms and the steady conviction that
results from this knowledge, represent Me.

PURPORT
Having given a brief but detailed synopsis of His personal opulences within this world, the Lord now briefly
summarizes the opulences that expand from His bodily effulgence. It is stated in Brahma-saḿhitā that all of
the material universes with their infinite varieties, transformations and opulences rest on the bodily
effulgence of the Lord. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has elaborately explained this point in his commentary on this
verse.

SB 11.16.38
mayeśvareṇa jīvena guṇena guṇinā vinā
sarvātmanāpi sarveṇa na bhāvo vidyate kvacit

SYNONYMS
mayā — Me; īśvareṇa — the Supreme Lord; jīvena — the living entity; guṇena — the modes of nature;
guṇinā — the mahat-tattva; vinā — without; sarva-ātmanā — the soul of all that exists; api — indeed;
sarveṇa — everything; na — not; bhāvaḥ — existence; vidyate — there is; kvacit — whatsoever.

TRANSLATION
As the Supreme Lord I am the basis of the living entity, of the modes of nature and of the mahat-tattva.
Thus I am everything, and nothing whatsoever can exist without Me.

PURPORT
Without the manifestation of the mahat-tattva, or total material existence, and the jīva, or living entity,
nothing can exist within the material world. Everything we experience is a combination of the living entity
and matter, in its various subtle and gross categories. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the entire
basis of the existence of both the living entity and matter. Nothing can possibly exist even for a moment
without the mercy of the Supreme Lord. One should not foolishly conclude that the Lord is therefore
material. As has been clearly explained in this canto of the Bhāgavatam, both the living entity and the
Supreme Lord are completely transcendental to material nature. The living entity, however, has the
propensity to dream that he is material, whereas the Lord constantly remembers the transcendental
position of both Himself and the conditioned dreaming entity. As the Lord is transcendental, His abode is
also far beyond the reach of the modes of nature. The actual purpose of life is to understand by mature
conviction the transcendental Lord, His transcendental abode, our own transcendental position and the
process by which we may go back home, back to Godhead.

SB 11.16.39
sańkhyānaḿ paramāṇūnāḿ kālena kriyate mayā
 na tathā me vibhūtīnāḿ sṛjato 'ṇḍāni koṭiśaḥ

SYNONYMS
sańkhyānam — counting; parama-aṇūnām — of the atoms; kālena — after some time; kriyate — is done;
mayā — by Me; na — not; tathā — in the same way; me — of Me; vibhūtīnām — of the opulences; sṛjataḥ
— who am creating; aṇḍāni — universes; koṭiśaḥ — by the innumerable millions.

TRANSLATION
Even though over a period of time I might count all the atoms of the universe, I could not count all of My
opulences which I manifest within innumerable universes.

PURPORT
The Lord here explains that Uddhava should not expect a complete catalog of the Lord's opulences, since
even the Lord Himself finds no limit to such opulences. According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, kālena indicates
that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is within every atom and can therefore easily calculate the total
number of atoms. However, although the Lord is certainly omniscient, even He Himself cannot supply a
finite number for His opulences, because they are infinite.

SB 11.16.40
tejaḥ śrīḥ kīrtir aiśvaryaḿ hrīs tyāgaḥ saubhagaḿ bhagaḥ
vīryaḿ titikṣā vijñānaḿ yatra yatra sa me 'ḿśakaḥ

SYNONYMS
tejaḥ — power; śrīḥ — beautiful, valuable things; kīrtiḥ — fame; aiśvaryam — opulence; hrīḥ — humility;
tyāgaḥ — renunciation; saubhagam — that which pleases the mind and senses; bhagaḥ — good fortune;
vīryam — strength; titikṣā — tolerance; vijñānam — spiritual knowledge; yatra yatra — wherever; saḥ —
this; me — My; aḿśakaḥ — expansion.

TRANSLATION
Whatever power, beauty, fame, opulence, humility, renunciation, mental pleasure, fortune, strength,
tolerance or spiritual knowledge there may be is simply an expansion of My opulence.

PURPORT
Although the Lord stated in the previous verse that His opulences are innumerable, the Lord here gives a
specific resume and demonstration of His opulences.

SB 11.16.41
etās te kīrtitāḥ sarvāḥ sańkṣepeṇa vibhūtayaḥ
mano-vikārā evaite yathā vācābhidhīyate

SYNONYMS

etāḥ — these; te — to you; kīrtitāḥ — described; sarvāḥ — all; sańkṣepeṇa — briefly; vibhūtayaḥ —
spiritual opulences; manaḥ — of the mind; vikārāḥ — transformations; eva — indeed; ete — these; yathā
— accordingly; vācā — by words; abhidhīyate — each is described.

TRANSLATION
I have briefly described to you all My spiritual opulences and also the extraordinary material features of
My creation, which are perceived by the mind and defined in different ways according to circumstances.

PURPORT
According to Sanskrit grammar, and as confirmed by Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the words etāḥ and ete describe
two distinct sets of the Lord's opulences. The Lord has described His opulent plenary expansions, such as
Vāsudeva, Nārāyaṇa, the Supersoul, etc., and further the Lord has described the outstanding features of
the material creation, which are also included among the glories of the Personality of Godhead. The plenary
manifestations of the Lord, such as Vāsudeva, Nārāyaṇa, etc., are all eternal, unchanging transcendental
features of the Lord and are indicated by the term etāḥ. The extraordinary aspects of material creation,
 however, are circumstantial and dependent on individual perception, and they are therefore described
here by the words mano-vikārā evaite yathā vācābhidhīyate. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains that by consistent
logical application of synonyms, etāḥ refers to the Lord's eternal spiritual manifestations, beyond the
perception of the material senses, whereas ete refers to those opulences that can be perceived by
conditioned souls. He gives the example that the paraphernalia and intimate associates of a king are all
considered to be part and parcel of the king and are therefore granted royal status. Similarly, the opulent
features of material creation are reflected expansions of the Lord's personal opulences and thus may be
considered nondifferent from Him. One should not, however, wrongly assume that such insignificant
material opulences occupy the same status as the Lord's plenary features as the Personality of Godhead,
which are qualitatively and quantitatively equal to the Lord.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura comments as follows on this verse. "The Lord's external opulences are
called mano-vikārāḥ, or 'related to mental transformation,' because ordinary people perceive
extraordinary features of the material world according to their personal state of mind. Thus the word
vācābhidhīyate indicates that conditioned souls describe the Lord's material creation according to specific
material circumstances. Because of the circumstantial relative definitions of material opulence, such
opulence is never to be considered a direct plenary manifestation of the Lord's personal form. When one's
state of mind is transformed into a favorable or affectionate state, one defines a manifestation of the Lord's
energy as 'my son,' 'my father,' 'my husband,' 'my uncle,' 'the son of my brother,' 'my friend,' and so on.
One forgets that every living entity is actually part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and
that whatever opulences, talents or outstanding features one may exhibit are actually the potencies of the
Lord. Similarly, when the mind is transformed into a negative or inimical state, one thinks, 'This person will
be the ruin of me,' 'This person must be finished by me,' 'He is my enemy' or 'I am his enemy,' 'He is a killer,
or 'He should be killed.' The negative state of mind is also expressed when one is attracted to the
extraordinary material aspects of particular persons or objects but forgets that they are manifestations of
the potency of the Personality of Godhead. Even the demigod Indra, who is quite obviously a manifestation
of the Lord's material opulences, is misunderstood by others. For example, Indra's wife, Śacī, thinks that
Indra is 'my husband,' whereas Aditi thinks that he is 'my son.' Jayanta thinks that he is 'my father,'
Bṛhaspati thinks that he is 'my disciple,' whereas the demons feel that Indra is their personal enemy. Thus
different personalities define him according to their mental state. The Lord's material opulences, being
relatively perceived, are therefore called mano-vikāra, which means they are dependent on mental states.
This relative perception is material because it does not recognize the Supreme Personality of Godhead as
the actual source of the particular opulence. If one sees Lord Kṛṣṇa as the source of all opulences and gives
up all desires to enjoy or possess the Lord's opulences, then one can see the spiritual nature of these
opulences. At that time, even though one may continue to perceive the variety and distinctions of the
material world, one will become perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One should not conclude, as do the voidist
philosophers, that the Lord's spiritual manifestations in the viṣṇu-tattva and liberated jīva categories are
also products of relative perception and mental states. This useless idea is contrary to the entire body of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead's teachings to Śrī Uddhava."
According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the word vācā also indicates the various Vedic literatures that describe the
particular processes by which the Lord manifests His spiritual and material opulences, and in this context
yathā indicates the specific procedures of manifestation and creation.

SB 11.16.42
vācaḿ yaccha mano yaccha prāṇān yacchedriyāṇi ca
ātmānam ātmanā yaccha na bhūyaḥ kalpase 'dhvane

SYNONYMS
vācam — speech; yaccha — control; manaḥ — the mind; yaccha — control; prāṇān — your breathing;
yaccha — control; indriyāṇi — the senses; ca — also; ātmānam — the intelligence; ātmanā — by purified
intelligence; yaccha — control; na — never; bhūyaḥ — again; kalpase — you will fall; adhvane — on the
path of material existence.

TRANSLATION
Therefore, control your speaking, subdue the mind, conquer the life air, regulate the senses and through
purified intelligence bring your rational faculties under control. In this way you will never again fall onto
the path of material existence.
 PURPORT
One should see all things as expansions of the Supreme Lord's potency, and thus with speech, mind and
words one should offer respect to all things, without minimizing any living entity or material object. Since
everything belongs to the Lord, everything ultimately should be engaged in the Lord's service with great
care. A self-realized devotee tolerates personal insult and does not become envious of any living entity, nor
does he see anyone as his enemy. This is practical enlightenment. Although a pure devotee may criticize
those who obstruct the Lord's mission, such criticism is never personally motivated nor is it ever based on
enviousness. An advanced devotee of the Lord may chastise his followers or criticize the demoniac, but only
to carry out the mission of the Supreme Lord and never out of personal enmity or enviousness. For one
who completely gives up the material concept of life there is no possibility of entering again onto the path
of birth and death.

SB 11.16.43
yo vai vāń-manasī saḿyag asaḿyacchan dhiyā yatiḥ
tasya vrataḿ tapo dānaḿ sravaty āma-ghaṭāmbu-vat

SYNONYMS
yaḥ — one who; vai — certainly; vāk-manasī — the speech and mind; saḿyak — completely; asaḿyacchan
— not controlling; dhiyā — by intelligence; yatiḥ — a transcendentalist; tasya — his; vratam — vows; tapaḥ
— austerities; dānam — charity; sravati — run out; āma — unbaked; ghaṭa — in a pot; ambu-vat — like
water.

TRANSLATION
A transcendentalist who does not completely control his words and mind by superior intelligence will
find that his spiritual vows, austerities and charity flow away just as water flows out of an unbaked clay
pot.

PURPORT
When a clay pot is properly baked it holds any liquid substance without leakage. If a clay pot is not properly
baked, however, water or any other liquid within it will seep out and be lost. Similarly, a transcendentalist
who does not control his speech and mind will find that his spiritual discipline and austerity gradually seep
away and are lost. Dāna, or "charity," refers to work performed for the welfare of others. Those who are
trying to give the highest charity by preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness should not engage in speaking cleverly
for the satisfaction of beautiful women, nor should they attempt to become artificially intellectual simply
for the sake of mundane academic prestige. One should not even think of intimate sexual relationships, nor
should one daydream of acquiring a prestigious position. Otherwise, one's determination to strictly practice
Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be lost, as described here. One must control the mind, senses and speech by
higher intelligence so that one's life will be successful.

SB 11.16.44
tasmād vaco manaḥ prāṇān niyacchen mat-parāyaṇaḥ
mad-bhakti-yuktayā buddhyā tataḥ parisamāpyate

SYNONYMS
tasmāt — therefore; vacaḥ — words; manaḥ — the mind; prāṇān — the life airs; niyacchet — one should
control; mat-parāyaṇaḥ — who is devoted to Me; mat — unto Me; bhakti — with devotion; yuktayā —
endowed; buddhyā — by such intelligence; tataḥ — thus; parisamāpyate — one fulfills the mission of life.

TRANSLATION
Being surrendered to Me, one should control the speech, mind and life air, and then through loving
devotional intelligence one will completely fulfill the mission of life.

PURPORT
One can develop loving devotional intelligence by perfectly chanting the Brahma-gāyatrī mantra awarded
at the moment of brāhmaṇa initiation. By clear intelligence, one becomes naturally and spontaneously
disinterested in the rewards offered by mental speculation and fruitive activities and takes full shelter of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
 Chapter 17: Lord Kṛṣṇa's Description of the Varṇāśrama System

SB 11.17.1-2
śrī-uddhava uvāca
yas tvayābhihitaḥ pūrvaḿ dharmas tvad-bhakti-lakṣaṇaḥ
varṇāśamācāravatāḿ sarveṣāḿ dvi-padām api
yathānuṣṭhīyamānena tvayi bhaktir nṛṇāḿ bhavet
sva-dharmeṇāravindākṣa tan mamākhyātum arhasi

SYNONYMS
śrī-uddhavaḥ uvāca — Śrī Uddhava said; yaḥ — which; tvayā — by You; abhihitaḥ — described; pūrvam —
previously; dharmaḥ — religious principles; tvat-bhakti-lakṣaṇaḥ — characterized by devotional service to
Your Lordship; varṇa-āśrama — of the varṇāśrama system; ācāravatām — of the faithful followers;
sarveṣām — of all; dvi-padām — of ordinary human beings (who do not follow the varṇāśrama system); api
— even; yathā — according to; anuṣṭhīyamānena — the process being executed; tvayi — in You; bhaktiḥ —
loving service; nṛṇām — of human beings; bhavet — may be; sva-dharmeṇa — by one's own occupational
duty; aravinda-akṣa — O lotus-eyed one; tat — that; mama — to me; ākhyātum — to explain; arhasi — You
ought.

TRANSLATION
Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord, previously You described the principles of devotional service that are to
be practiced by followers of the varṇāśrama system and even ordinary, unregulated human beings. My
dear lotus-eyed Lord, now please explain to me how all human beings can achieve loving service unto
You by the execution of their prescribed duties.

PURPORT
 Lord Kṛṣṇa has already elaborately explained the process of jñāna-yoga, bhakti-yoga and aṣṭāńga-yoga.
Now Uddhava inquires how those inclined toward karma-yoga can achieve the perfection of life, Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. In Bhagavad-gītā (4.13) Lord Kṛṣṇa describes that He is personally the creator of the
varṇāśrama system. Cātur-varṇyaḿ mayā sṛṣṭaḿ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. Therefore the ultimate goal of
the varṇāśrama system is to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, one should
become a devotee of the Lord and learn the process of pure devotional service. The easiest method of
achieving pure devotional service is by the association of pure devotees of the Lord. If one submissively and
faithfully associates with pure devotees, one can immediately achieve the perfection of life. A Kṛṣṇa
conscious person is not required to execute all the formalities of the varṇāśrama system, because a Kṛṣṇa
conscious person, absorbed in love of Godhead, automatically gives up all sense gratification and mental
speculation. Those human beings who do not follow the varṇāśrama system are here referred to as dvi-
padām, or two-legged. In other words, one who does not follow the religious path of life is known to be
human only by the possession of two legs. Even ordinary animals and insects are eagerly engaged in eating,
sleeping, mating and defending; the human being, however, is distinguished from such lower forms of life
by his capacity to become religious and, ultimately, to love God in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

SB 11.17.3-4
purā kila mahā-bāho dharmaḿ paramakaḿ prabho
yat tena haḿsa-rūpeṇa brahmaṇe 'bhyāttha mādhava
sa idānīḿ su-mahatā kālenāmitra-karśana
na prāyo bhavitā martya-loke prāg anuśāsitaḥ

SYNONYMS
purā — previously; kila — indeed; mahā-bāho — O mighty-armed one; dharmam — religious principles;
paramakam — bringing the greatest happiness; prabho — my Lord; yat — which; tena — by that; haḿsa-
rūpeṇa — in the form of Lord Haḿsa; brahmaṇe — unto Lord Brahmā; abhyāttha — You spoke; mādhava —
my dear Mādhava; saḥ — that (knowledge of religious principles); idānīm — presently; su-mahatā — after
very long; kālena — time; amitra-karśana — O subduer of the enemy; na — not; prāyaḥ — generally;
bhavitā — will exist; martya-loke — in human society; prāk — previously; anuśāsitaḥ — instructed.

TRANSLATION
My dear Lord, O mighty-armed one, previously in Your form of Lord Haḿsa You spoke to Lord Brahmā
those religious principles that bring supreme happiness to the practitioner. My dear Mādhava, now much
time has passed, and that which You previously instructed will soon practically cease to exist, O subduer
of the enemy.

SB 11.17.5-6
vaktā kartāvitā nānyo dharmasyācyuta te bhuvi
sabhāyām api vairiñcyāḿ yatra mūrti-dharāḥ kalāḥ
kartrāvitrā pravaktrā ca bhavatā madhusūdana
tyakte mahī-tale deva vinaṣṭaḿ kaḥ pravakṣyati

SYNONYMS
vaktā — speaker; kartā — creator; avitā — protector; na — not; anyaḥ — any other; dharmasya — of
supreme religious principles; acyuta — my dear Acyuta; te — than You; bhuvi — on the earth; sabhāyām —
in the assembly; api — even; vairiñcyām — of Lord Brahmā; yatra — wherein; mūrti-dharāḥ — in the
personified form; kalāḥ — the Vedas; kartrā — by the creator; avitrā — by the protector; pravaktrā — by
the speaker; ca — also; bhavatā — by Your Lordship; madhusūdana — my dear Madhusūdana; tyakte —
when it is abandoned; mahī-tale — the earth; deva — my dear Lord; vinaṣṭam — those lost principles of
religion; kaḥ — who; pravakṣyati — will speak.

TRANSLATION
My dear Lord Acyuta, there is no speaker, creator and protector of supreme religious principles other
than Your Lordship, either on the earth or even in the assembly of Lord Brahmā, where the personified
Vedas reside. Thus, my dear Lord Madhusūdana, when You, who are the very creator, protector and
speaker of spiritual knowledge, abandon the earth, who will again speak this lost knowledge?
 SB 11.17.7
tat tvaḿ naḥ sarva-dharma-jña dharmas tvad-bhakti-lakṣaṇaḥ
yathā yasya vidhīyeta tathā varṇaya me prabho

SYNONYMS
tat — therefore; tvam — You; naḥ — among us (human beings); sarva-dharma-jña — O supreme knower of
religious principles; dharmaḥ — the spiritual path; tvat-bhakti — by loving service to You; lakṣaṇaḥ —
characterized; yathā — in which way; yasya — of whom; vidhīyeta — may be executed; tathā — in that
way; varṇaya — please describe; me — unto me; prabho — my Lord.

TRANSLATION
Therefore, my Lord, since You are the knower of all religious principles, please describe to me the human
beings who may execute the path of loving service to You and how such service is to be rendered.

SB 11.17.8
śrī-śuka uvāca
itthaḿ sva-bhṛtya-mukhyena pṛṣṭaḥ sa bhagavān hariḥ
prītaḥ kṣemāya martyānāḿ dharmān āha sanātanān

SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; ittham — thus; sva-bhṛtya-mukhyena — by the best of His
devotees; pṛṣṭaḥ — questioned; saḥ — He; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; hariḥ — Śrī
Kṛṣṇa; prītaḥ — being pleased; kṣemāya — for the highest welfare; martyānām — of all conditioned souls;
dharmān — religious principles; āha — spoke; sanātanān — eternal.

TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Śrī Uddhava, the best of devotees, thus inquired from the Lord. Hearing his
question, the Personality of Godhead, śrī Kṛṣṇa, was pleased and for the welfare of all conditioned souls
spoke those religious principles that are eternal.

SB 11.17.9
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
dharmya eṣa tava praśno naiḥśreyasa-karo nṛṇām
varṇāśramācāravatāḿ tam uddhava nibodha me

SYNONYMS
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; dharmyaḥ — faithful to religious
principles; eṣaḥ — this; tava — your; praśnaḥ — question; naiḥśreyasa-karaḥ — the cause of pure
devotional service; nṛṇām — for ordinary human beings; varṇa-āśrama — the varṇāśrama system; ācāra-
vatām — for those who faithfully follow; tam — those highest religious principles; uddhava — My dear
Uddhava; nibodha — please learn; me — from Me.

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, your question is faithful to religious
principles and thus gives rise to the highest perfection in life, pure devotional service, for both ordinary
human beings and the followers of the varṇāśrama system. Now please learn from Me those supreme
religious principles.

PURPORT
The word naiḥśreyasa-kara indicates that which awards the highest perfection of life, Kṛṣṇa consciousness,
which the Lord is explaining to Śrī Uddhava. When considering religious principles, ordinary human beings
remain bogged down in sectarian mundane considerations. The process that awards the highest perfection
of life should be considered the most auspicious for human beings. The varṇāśrama system is the most
scientific presentation of religiosity on the earth, and those who are most perfect in that system come to
the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or dedicating everything for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord.
 SB 11.17.10
ādau kṛta-yuge varṇo nṛṇāḿ haḿsa iti smṛtaḥ
kṛta-kṛtyāḥ prajā jātyā tasmāt kṛta-yugaḿ viduḥ

SYNONYMS
ādau — in the beginning (of the millennium); kṛta-yuge — in the Satya-yuga, or age of truth; varṇaḥ — the
social class; nṛṇām — of human beings; haḿsaḥ — named haḿsa; iti — thus; smṛtaḥ — well known; kṛta-
kṛtyāḥ — perfect in the execution of duties by complete surrender to the Supreme Lord; prajāḥ — the
citizens; jātyā — automatically by birth; tasmāt — therefore; kṛta-yugam — Kṛta-yuga, or the age in which
all duties are fulfilled; viduḥ — was thus known by the learned.

TRANSLATION
In the beginning, in Satya-yuga, there is only one social class, called haḿsa, to which all human beings
belong. In that age all people are unalloyed devotees of the Lord from birth, and thus learned scholars
call this first age Kṛta-yuga, or the age in which all religious duties are perfectly fulfilled.

PURPORT
It is understood from this verse that the supreme religious principle is unalloyed surrender to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. In Satya-yuga there is no influence of the lower modes of nature, and therefore all
human beings belong to the highest social order, called haḿsa, in which one comes under the direct
supervision of the Personality of Godhead. In the modern age people are crying out for social equality, but
unless all human beings are situated in the mode of goodness, which is the position of purity and unalloyed
devotion, social equality is not possible. As the lower modes of nature become prominent, secondary
religious principles arise, by which people may be gradually elevated to the pure stage of unalloyed
surrender to God. In Satya-yuga there are no inferior human beings, and thus there is no need of secondary
religious principles. Everyone directly takes to the unalloyed service of the Lord, fulfilling perfectly all
religious obligations. In Sanskrit, one who perfectly executes all duties is called kṛta-kṛtya, as mentioned in
this verse. Therefore Satya-yuga is called Kṛta-yuga, or the age of perfect religious action. According to Śrīla
Jīva Gosvāmī, the word ādau ("in the beginning") refers to the moment of universal creation. In other
words, the varṇāśrama system is not a recent concoction but naturally arises at the time of creation and
should therefore be accepted by all intelligent human beings.

SB 11.17.11
vedaḥ praṇava evāgre dharmo 'haḿ vṛṣa-rūpa-dhṛk
upāsate tapo-niṣṭhā haḿsaḿ māḿ mukta-kilbiṣāḥ

SYNONYMS
vedaḥ — the Veda; praṇavaḥ — the sacred syllable oḿ; eva — indeed; agre — in Satya-yuga; dharmaḥ —
the object of mental activities; aham — I; vṛṣa-rūpa-dhṛk — bearing the form of the bull of religion; upāsate
— they worship; tapaḥ-niṣṭhāḥ — fixed in austerity; haḿsam — Lord Haḿsa; mām — Me; mukta — freed
from; kilbiṣāḥ — all sins.

TRANSLATION
In Satya-yuga the undivided Veda is expressed by the syllable oḿ, and I am the only object of mental
activities. I become manifest as the four-legged bull of religion, and thus the inhabitants of Satya-yuga,
fixed in austerity and free from all sins, worship Me as Lord Haḿsa.

PURPORT
The bull of religion is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.17.24): tapaḥ śaucam dayā satyam iti pādāḥ kṛte
kṛtāḥ. "In the age of Satya [truthfulness], your four legs were established by the four principles of austerity,
cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness." Śrī Vyāsadeva divided the one Veda into four — the Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma
and Atharva Vedas — at the end of Dvāpara-yuga, but in Satya-yuga the whole of Vedic knowledge is easily
understood by everyone simply by vibrating the syllable oḿ. In this age there are no ritualistic or pious
activities such as sacrifice, since everyone is sinless, austere and fully engaged in worshiping the Personality
of Godhead, Lord Haḿsa, through the process of meditation.

SB 11.17.12
 tretā-mukhe mahā-bhāga prāṇān me hṛdayāt trayī
vidyā prādurabhūt tasyā aham āsaḿ tri-vṛn makhaḥ

SYNONYMS
tretā-mukhe — at the beginning of Tretā-yuga; mahā-bhāga — O greatly fortunate one; prāṇāt — from the
abode of prāṇa, or the life air; me — My; hṛdayāt — from the heart; trayī — the threefold; vidyā — Vedic
knowledge; prādurabhūt — appeared; tasyāḥ — from that knowledge; aham — I; āsam — appeared; tri-vṛt
— in three divisions; makhaḥ — sacrifice.

TRANSLATION
O greatly fortunate one, at the beginning of Tretā-yuga Vedic knowledge appeared from My heart, which
is the abode of the air of life, in three divisions — as Ṛg, Sāma and Yajur. Then from that knowledge I
appeared as threefold sacrifice.

PURPORT
In Tretā-yuga, the bull of religion loses one leg, and only seventy-five percent of religious principles are
manifested, represented by the three principal Vedas — Ṛg, Sāma and Yajur. The Lord appears in the
process of threefold Vedic sacrifice. The three divisions are understood as follows. The hotā priest offers
oblations into the fire and chants the Ṛg Veda; the udgātā priest chants the Sāma Veda; and the adhvaryu
priest, who arranges the sacrificial ground, altar, etc., chants the Yajur Veda. In Tretā-yuga such sacrifice is
the authorized process for spiritual perfection. The word prāṇāt in this verse refers to the universal form of
the Personality of Godhead. This form is further described in the following verses.

SB 11.17.13
vipra-kṣatriya-viṭ-śūdrā mukha-bāhūru-pāda-jāḥ
vairājāt puruṣāj jātā ya ātmācāra-lakṣaṇāḥ

SYNONYMS
vipra — brāhmaṇas; kṣatriya — kṣatriyas, the martial class; viṭ — vaiśyas, mercantile men; śūdrāḥ —
śūdras, workers; mukha — from the mouth; bāhu — arms; ūru — thighs; pāda — and legs; jāḥ — born;
vairājāt — from the universal form; puruṣāt — from the Personality of Godhead; jātāḥ — generated; ye —
who; ātma — personal; ācāra — by activities; lakṣaṇāḥ — recognized.

TRANSLATION
In Tretā-yuga the four social orders were manifested from the universal form of the Personality of
Godhead. The brāhmaṇas appeared from the Lord's face, the kṣatriyas from the Lord's arms, the vaiśyas
from the Lord's thighs and the śūdras from the legs of that mighty form. Each social division was
recognized by its particular duties and behavior.

SB 11.17.14
gṛhāśramo jaghanato brahmacaryaḿ hṛdo mama
vakṣaḥ-sthalād vane-vāsaḥ sannyāsaḥ śirasi sthitaḥ

SYNONYMS
gṛha-āśramaḥ — married life; jaghanataḥ — from the loins; brahmacaryam — celibate student life; hṛdaḥ
— from the heart; mama — My; vakṣaḥ-sthalāt — from the chest; vane — in the forest; vāsaḥ — dwelling;
sannyāsaḥ — the renounced order of life; śirasi — in the head; sthitaḥ — situated.

TRANSLATION
The married order of life appeared from the loins of My universal form, and the celibate students came
from My heart. The forest-dwelling retired order of life appeared from My chest, and the renounced
order of life was situated within the head of My universal form.

PURPORT
There are two classes of brahmacārī life. The naiṣṭhiki-brahmacārī remains celibate throughout life,
whereas the upakurvāṇa-brahmacārī marries upon finishing his student life. One who remains perpetually
celibate is situated within the heart of Lord Kṛṣṇa, but those brahmacārīs who eventually marry are situated
 within the loins of the universal form of the Lord. The word vane-vāsaḥ refers to vānaprastha, or the
retired order of life, which is situated on the chest of the Lord.

SB 11.17.15
varṇānām āśramāṇāḿ ca janma-bhūmy-anusāriṇīḥ
āsan prakṛtayo nṝnāḿ nīcair nīcottamottamāḥ

SYNONYMS
varṇānām — of the occupational divisions; āśramāṇām — of the social divisions; ca — also; janma — of
birth; bhūmi — the situation; anusāriṇīḥ — according to; āsan — appeared; prakṛtayaḥ — the natures;
nṝṇām — of human beings; nīcaiḥ — by inferior background; nīca — inferior nature; uttama — by superior
background; uttamāḥ — superior natures.

TRANSLATION
The various occupational and social divisions of human society appeared according to inferior and
superior natures manifest in the situation of the individual's birth.

PURPORT
According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the brāhmaṇas and sannyāsīs, being situated on the head
of the universal form of the Lord, are considered to be the most qualified, whereas the śūdras and
gṛhasthas, being on the legs or loins of the Personality of Godhead, are considered to be in the lowest
position. A living entity is born with a certain amount of intelligence, beauty and social opportunity, and he
is therefore situated in a particular occupational and social position within the varṇāśrama system.
Ultimately, such positions are external designations, but since the majority of human beings are
conditioned by the external energy of the Lord, they should act according to the scientific varṇāśrama
divisions until they reach the stage of jīvan-mukta, or liberated life.

SB 11.17.16
śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaḿ santoṣaḥ kṣāntir ārjavam
mad-bhaktiś ca dayā satyaḿ brahma-prakṛtayas tv imāḥ

SYNONYMS
śamaḥ — peacefulness; damaḥ — sense control; tapaḥ — austerity; śaucam — cleanliness; santoṣaḥ — full
satisfaction; kṣāntiḥ — forgiveness; ārjavam — simplicity and straightforwardness; mat-bhaktiḥ —
devotional service unto Me; ca — also; dayā — mercy; satyam — truth; brahma — of the brāhmaṇas;
prakṛtayaḥ — the natural qualities; tu — indeed; imāḥ — these.

TRANSLATION
Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, cleanliness, satisfaction, tolerance, simple straightforwardness,
devotion to Me, mercy and truthfulness are the natural qualities of the brāhmaṇas.

SB 11.17.17
tejo balaḿ dhṛtiḥ śauryaḿ titikṣaudāryam udyamaḥ
sthairyaḿ brahmanyam aiśvaryaḿ kṣatra-prakṛtayas tv imāḥ

SYNONYMS
tejaḥ — dynamic power; balam — bodily strength; dhṛtiḥ — determination; śauryam — heroism; titikṣā —
tolerance; audāryam — generosity; udyamaḥ — endeavor; sthairyam — steadiness; brahmaṇyam — being
always eager to serve the brāhmaṇas; aiśvaryam — leadership; kṣatra — of the kṣatriyas; prakṛtayaḥ — the
natural qualities; tu — indeed; imāḥ — these.

TRANSLATION
Dynamic power, bodily strength, determination, heroism, tolerance, generosity, great endeavor,
steadiness, devotion to the brāhmaṇas and leadership are the natural qualities of the kṣatriyas.

SB 11.17.18
 āstikyaḿ dāna-niṣṭhā ca adambho brahma-sevanam
atuṣṭir arthopacayair vaiśya-prakṛtayas tv imāḥ

SYNONYMS
āstikyam — faith in Vedic civilization; dāna-niṣṭhā — dedicated to charity; ca — also; adambhaḥ — being
without hypocrisy; brahma-sevanam — service to the brāhmaṇas; atuṣṭiḥ — remaining dissatisfied; artha
— of money; upacayaiḥ — by the accumulation; vaiśya — of the vaiśyas; prakṛtayaḥ — the natural qualities;
tu — indeed; imāḥ — these.

TRANSLATION
Faith in Vedic civilization, dedication to charity, freedom from hypocrisy, service to the brāhmaṇas and
perpetually desiring to accumulate more money are the natural qualities of the vaiśyas.

PURPORT
Atuṣṭir arthopacayaiḥ indicates that a vaiśya is never satisfied with any amount of wealth and always wants
to accumulate more. On the other hand, he is dāna-niṣṭha, or dedicated to charitable work; brahmasevī,
always engaged in assisting the brāhmaṇas; and adambha, free from hypocrisy. This is due to āstikyam, or
complete faith in the Vedic way of life, and confidence that one will be rewarded or punished in the next
life for one's present activities. The fervent desire of the vaiśyas to accumulate wealth is not the same as
ordinary material greed, because it is purified and tempered by the superior qualities mentioned in this
verse.

SB 11.17.19
śuśrūṣaṇaḿ dvija-gavāḿ devānāḿ cāpy amāyayā
tatra labdhena santoṣaḥ śūdra-prakṛtayas tv imāḥ

SYNONYMS
śuśrūṣaṇam — service; dvija — of the brāhmaṇas; gavām — of the cows; devānām — of worshipable
personalities such as the demigods and the spiritual master; ca — also; api — indeed; amāyayā — without
duplicity; tatra — in such service; labdhena — with that which is obtained; santoṣaḥ — complete
satisfaction; śūdra — of the śūdras; prakṛtayaḥ — the natural qualities; tu — indeed; imāḥ — these.

TRANSLATION
Service without duplicity to the brāhmaṇas, cows, demigods and other worshipable personalities, and
complete satisfaction with whatever income is obtained in such service, are the natural qualities of
śūdras.

PURPORT
When the entire social order is functioning properly according to Vedic standards, everyone is happy and
satisfied. Although the śūdras are to be satisfied with whatever income they obtain through their service,
they never lack the necessities of life, because the other orders of society, such as kṣatriyas and vaiśyas, are
required to be abundantly generous, and the brāhmaṇas are well known for being the most merciful of all.
Therefore, if all social classes obey the Vedic injunctions there will be a new and blissful life for the entire
human society under the guidance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

SB 11.17.20
aśaucam anṛtaḿ steyaḿ nāstikyaḿ śuṣka-vigrahaḥ
kāmaḥ krodhaś ca tarṣaś ca sa bhāvo 'ntyāvasāyinām

SYNONYMS
aśaucam — dirtiness; anṛtam — dishonesty; steyam — thievery; nāstikyam — faithlessness; śuṣka-vigrahaḥ
— useless quarreling; kāmaḥ — lust; krodhaḥ — anger; ca — also; tarṣaḥ — hankering; ca — also; saḥ —
this; bhāvaḥ — the nature; antya — in the lowest position; avasāyinām — of those residing.

TRANSLATION
Dirtiness, dishonesty, thievery, faithlessness, useless quarrel, lust, anger and hankering constitute the
nature of those in the lowest position outside the varṇāśrama system.
 PURPORT
Here the Lord describes those who reside outside the scientific social system called varṇāśrama. In Europe
and America, we have practically observed that the standards of cleanliness are abominable even among
so-called educated persons. Going without bathing and the use of indecent language are common. In the
modern age people whimsically speak whatever they like, dispensing with all authority, and there is
therefore very little truthfulness or true wisdom. Similarly, in both the capitalistic and communistic
countries, everyone is busily engaged in stealing and robbing from everyone else in the name of business,
taxation or outright crime. People are not confident of the kingdom of God nor of their own eternal nature,
and thus their faith is very weak. Moreover, since modern human beings are not very interested in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness they constantly quarrel, bicker and fight over completely insignificant issues relating to the
material body. Thus at the slightest provocation there are huge wars and massacres. Lust, anger and
hankering have become practically unlimited in Kali-yuga. The symptoms and characteristics mentioned
here can be abundantly observed throughout the world, wherever people have fallen away from the
varṇāśrama system. Because of sinful habits such as animal killing, illicit sex, intoxication and gambling, the
great majority of human beings have become caṇḍālas, or untouchables.

SB 11.17.21
ahiḿsā satyam asteyam akāma-krodha-lobhatā
bhūta-priya-hitehā ca dharmo 'yaḿ sārva-varṇikaḥ

SYNONYMS
ahiḿsā — nonviolence; satyam — truthfulness; asteyam — honesty; a-kāma-krodha-lobhatā — being free
from lust, anger and greed; bhūta — of all living entities; priya — the happiness; hita — and welfare; īhā —
desiring; ca — also; dharmaḥ — duty; ayam — this; sārva-varṇikaḥ — for all members of society.

TRANSLATION
Nonviolence, truthfulness, honesty, desire for the happiness and welfare of all others and freedom from
lust, anger and greed constitute duties for all members of society.

PURPORT
The word sārva-varṇika indicates that the above-mentioned principles constitute general piety, which
should be observed by all members of society, even those outside the varṇāśrama system. We practically
find that even in societies that have fallen away from the varṇāśrama system, the above-mentioned
principles are honored and encouraged. Such principles do not constitute a specific path of liberation but
are perennial virtues in human society.

SB 11.17.22
dvitīyaḿ prāpyānupūrvyāj janmopanayanaḿ dvijaḥ
vasan guru-kule dānto brahmādhīyīta cāhūtaḥ

SYNONYMS
dvitīyam — second; prāpya — achieving; ānupūrvyāt — by the gradual process of purificatory ceremonies;
janma — birth; upanayanam — Gāyatrī initiation; dvijaḥ — a twice-born member of society; vasan —
residing; guru-kule — in the āśrama of the spiritual master; dāntaḥ — self-controlled; brahma — the Vedic
literatures; adhīyīta — should study; ca — and also understand; āhūtaḥ — being summoned by the
spiritual master.

TRANSLATION
The twice-born member of society achieves second birth through the sequence of purificatory
ceremonies culminating in Gāyatrī initiation. Being summoned by the spiritual master, he should reside
within the guru's āśrama and with a self-controlled mind carefully study the Vedic literature.

PURPORT
The term dvija, or "twice-born," here indicates the three superior classes, namely brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and
vaiśyas, who all receive the Gāyatrī mantra, which signifies their second birth through spiritual initiation.
One's first birth is biological, or seminal, and does not necessarily indicate that one is intelligent or
enlightened. A young brāhmaṇa boy, if qualified, may be initiated with Gāyatrī mantra at the age of twelve,
and kṣatriyas and vaiśyas a few years later. In order to become enlightened with spiritual knowledge, the
boy resides within the guru-kula, or āśrama of the spiritual master. The International Society for Krishna
Consciousness has established similar guru-kulas all over the world and is issuing a great call to civilized
human beings to arrange for the proper education of their children. Every young boy and girl should learn
to be self-controlled and should become enlightened through study of authorized Vedic literatures. In this
way, unlike ordinary animals, insects, fish and birds, etc., an enlightened human being may take birth twice
and thus become perfect in the knowledge that leads to ultimate liberation. The word ānupūrvyāt in this
verse indicates the system of saḿskāras, or purificatory rites, beginning with garbhādhāna-saḿskāra, or the
purification of the sexual act. Generally, śūdras and those who do not follow the Vedic system are not
attracted to such purificatory ceremonies; therefore they remain ignorant of spiritual life and envious of
the bona fide spiritual master. Those whose character has been civilized by a systematic cleansing process
give up the tendency to be argumentative and whimsical and instead become submissive and eager to
learn in the presence of a bona fide spiritual master.

SB 11.17.23
mekhalājina-daṇḍākṣa-brahma-sūtra-kamaṇḍalūn
jaṭilo 'dhauta-dad-vāso 'rakta-pīṭhaḥ kuśān dadhat

SYNONYMS
mekhalā — belt; ajina — deerskin; daṇḍa — staff; akṣa — bead necklace; brahma-sūtra — brāhmaṇa
thread; kamaṇḍalūn — and waterpot; jaṭilaḥ — with matted, unruly hair; adhauta — without polishing,
bleaching or ironing; dat-vāsaḥ — the teeth and clothes; arakta-pīṭhaḥ — without accepting a luxurious or
sensuous seat; kuśān — kuśa grass; dadhat — carrying in his hand.

TRANSLATION
The brahmacārī should regularly dress with a belt of straw and deerskin garments. He should wear
matted hair, carry a rod and waterpot and be decorated with akṣa beads and a sacred thread. Carrying
pure kuśa grass in his hand, he should never accept a luxurious or sensuous sitting place. He should not
unnecessarily polish his teeth, nor should he bleach and iron his clothes.

PURPORT
The word adhauta-dad-vasa indicates that a renounced brahmacārī is not concerned with a glistening smile
to attract the opposite sex, nor does he pay much attention to his outer garments. Brahmacārī life is meant
for austerity and obedience to the spiritual master so that later in life, when one becomes a businessman,
politician or intellectual brāhmaṇa, one will be able to call upon resources of character, discipline, self-
control, austerity and humility. Student life, as described here, is far different from the mindless hedonism
known as modern education. Of course, in the modern age, Kṛṣṇa conscious brahmacārīs cannot artificially
adopt the ancient dress and ritualistic duties described here; but the essential values of self-control, purity
and obedience to a bona fide spiritual master are just as necessary today as they were in Vedic times.

SB 11.17.24
snāna-bhojana-homeṣu japoccāre ca vāg-yataḥ
na cchindyān nakha-romāṇi kakṣopastha-gatāny api

SYNONYMS
snāna — while bathing; bhojana — while eating; homeṣu — and while attending sacrificial performances;
japa — while chanting mantras to oneself; uccāre — while passing stool or urine; ca — also; vāk-yataḥ —
remaining silent; na — not; chindyāt — should cut; nakha — the nails; romāṇi — or hairs; kakṣa — in the
armpits; upastha — pubic; gatāni — including; api — even.

TRANSLATION
A brahmacārī should always remain silent while bathing, eating, attending sacrificial performances,
chanting japa or passing stool and urine. He should not cut his nails and hair, including the armpit and
pubic hair.

PURPORT
Nārada Muni gives a similar technical description of Vedic brahmacārī life in Canto Seven, Chapter Twelve
of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

SB 11.17.25
reto nāvakirej jātu brahma-vrata-dharaḥ svayam
avakīrṇe 'vagāhyāpsu yatāsus tri-padāḿ japet

SYNONYMS
retaḥ — semen; na — not; avakiret — should spill out; jātu — ever; brahma-vrata-dharaḥ — one who is
maintaining the vow of celibacy, or brahmacarya; svayam — by itself; avakīrṇe — having flowed out;
avagāhya — bathing; apsu — in water; yata-asuḥ — controlling the breathing by prāṇāyāma; tri-padām —
the Gāyatrī mantra; japet — he should chant.

TRANSLATION
One observing the vow of celibate brahmacārī life should never pass semen. If the semen by chance spills
out by itself, the brahmacārī should immediately take bath in water, control his breath by prāṇāyāma
and chant the Gāyatrī mantra

SB 11.17.26
agny-arkācārya-go-vipra-guru-vṛddha-surāñ śuciḥ
samāhita upāsīta sandhye dve yata-vāg japan

SYNONYMS
agni — the fire-god; arka — the sun; ācārya — the ācārya; go — the cows; vipra — the brāhmaṇas; guru —
the spiritual master; vṛddha — elder respectable persons; surān — the demigods; śuciḥ — purified;
samāhitaḥ — with fixed consciousness; upāsīta — he should worship; sandhye — in the junctions of time;
dve — two; yata-vāk — observing silence; japan — silently chanting or murmuring the proper mantras.

TRANSLATION
Purified and fixed in consciousness, the brahmacārī should worship the fire-god, sun, ācārya, cows,
brāhmaṇas, guru, elderly respectable persons and demigods. He should perform such worship at sunrise
and sunset, without speaking but by silently chanting or murmuring the appropriate mantras.

SB 11.17.27
ācāryaḿ māḿ vijānīyān nāvanmanyeta karhicit
na martya-buddhyāsūyeta sarva-deva-mayo guruḥ

SYNONYMS
ācāryam — the spiritual master; mām — Myself; vijānīyāt — one should know; na avamanyeta — one
should never disrespect; karhicit — at any time; na — never; martya-buddhyā — with the idea of his being
an ordinary man; asūyeta — one should be envious; sarva-deva — of all demigods; mayaḥ —
representative; guruḥ — the spiritual master.

TRANSLATION
One should know the ācārya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him,
thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods.

PURPORT
This verse appears in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 1.46). His Divine Grace Oḿ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaḿsa
Parivrājakācārya Aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda has commented on this
verse as follows.
"This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.17.27) spoken by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa when He was questioned by
Uddhava regarding the four social and spiritual orders of society. He was specifically instructing how a
brahmacārī should behave under the care of a spiritual master. A spiritual master is not an enjoyer of
facilities offered by his disciples. He is like a parent. Without the attentive service of his parents, a child
cannot grow to manhood; similarly, without the care of the spiritual master one cannot rise to the plane of
transcendental service.
 "The spiritual master is also called ācārya, or a transcendental professor of spiritual science. Manu-saḿhitā
(2.140) explains the duties of an ācārya, describing that a bona fide spiritual maser accepts charge of
disciples, teaches them the Vedic knowledge with all its intricacies, and gives them their second birth. The
ceremony performed to initiate a disciple into the study of spiritual science is called upanīti, or the function
that brings one nearer to the spiritual master. One who cannot be brought nearer to a spiritual master
cannot have a sacred thread, and thus he is indicated to be a śūdra. The sacred thread worn on the body of
a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya is a symbol of initiation by the spiritual master; it is worth nothing if worn
merely to boast of high parentage. The duty of the spiritual master is to initiate a disciple with the sacred
thread ceremony, and after this saḿskāra, or purificatory process, the spiritual master actually begins to
teach the disciple about the Vedas. A person born a śūdra is not barred from such spiritual initiation,
provided he is approved by the spiritual master, who is duly authorized to award a disciple the right to be a
brāhmaṇa if he finds him perfectly qualified. In the Vāyu Purāṇa an ācārya is defined as one who knows the
import of all Vedic literature, explains the purpose of the Vedas, abides by their rules and regulations and
teaches his disciples to act in the same way.
"Only out of His immense compassion does the Personality of Godhead reveal Himself as the spiritual
master. Therefore in the dealings of an ācārya there are no activities but those of transcendental loving
service to the Lord. He is the Supreme Personality of Servitor Godhead. It is worthwhile to take shelter of
such a steady devotee, who is called āśraya-vigraha, or the manifestation or form of the Lord of whom one
must take shelter.
"If one poses himself as an ācārya but does not have an attitude of servitorship to the Lord, he must be
considered an offender, and this offensive attitude disqualifies him from being an ācārya. The bona fide
spiritual master always engages in unalloyed devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By
this test he is known to be a direct manifestation of the Lord and a genuine representative of Śrī
Nityānanda Prabhu. Such a spiritual master is known as ācāryadeva. Influenced by an envious temperament
and dissatisfied because of an attitude of sense gratification, mundaners criticize a real ācārya. In fact,
however, a bona fide ācārya is nondifferent from the Personality of Godhead, and therefore to envy such
an ācārya is to envy the Personality of Godhead Himself. This will produce an effect subversive to
transcendental realization.
"As mentioned previously, a disciple should always respect the spiritual master as a manifestation of Śrī
Kṛṣṇa, but at the same time one should always remember that a spiritual master is never authorized to
imitate the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. False spiritual masters pose themselves as identical with
Śrī Kṛṣṇa in every respect, to exploit the sentiments of their disciples, but such impersonalists can only
mislead their disciples, for their ultimate aim is to become one with the Lord. This is against the principles
of the devotional cult.
"The real Vedic philosophy is acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, which establishes everything to be simultaneously
one with and different from the Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī confirms that this
is the real position of a bona fide spiritual master and says that one should always think of the spiritual
master in terms of his intimate relationship with Mukunda (Śrī Kṛṣṇa). Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, in his Bhakti-
sandarbha (213), has clearly defined that a pure devotee's observation of the spiritual master and Lord Śiva
as one with the Personality of Godhead exists in terms of their being very dear to the Lord, not identical
with Him in all respects. Following in the footsteps of Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Jīva
Gosvāmī, later ācāryas like Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura have confirmed the same truths. In his
prayers to the spiritual master, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura confirms that all the revealed scriptures
accept the spiritual master to be identical with the Personality of Godhead because he is a very dear and
confidential servant of the Lord. Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas therefore worship Śrīla Gurudeva (the spiritual master)
in the light of his being the servitor of the Personality of Godhead. In all the ancient literatures of
devotional service and in the more recent songs of Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda
Ṭhākura and other unalloyed Vaiṣṇavas, the spiritual master is always considered to be either one of the
confidential associates of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī or a manifested representation of Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu."

SB 11.17.28
sāyaḿ prātar upānīya bhaikṣyaḿ tasmai nivedayet
yac cānyad apy anujñātam upayuñjīta saḿyataḥ

SYNONYMS
sāyam — in the evening; prātaḥ — in the morning; upānīya — bringing; bhaikṣyam — food that is collected
by begging; tasmai — unto him (the ācārya); nivedayet — one should deliver; yat — that which; ca — also;
 anyat — other things; api — indeed; anujñātam — that which is permitted; upayuñjīta — one should
accept; saḿyataḥ — being fully controlled.

TRANSLATION
In the morning and evening one should collect foodstuffs and other articles and deliver them to the
spiritual master. Then, being self-controlled, one should accept for oneself that which is allotted by the
ācārya.

PURPORT
One who desires to receive the mercy of a bona fide spiritual master should not be eager to accumulate the
paraphernalia of sense gratification; rather, whatever one is able to collect one should offer at the lotus
feet of the ācārya. Being self-controlled, one should humbly accept that which is allotted by the bona fide
spiritual master. Every living entity must ultimately be trained to serve the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, but until one has become expert in the techniques of spiritual service one should offer everything
to the spiritual master, who is completely realized in the process of worshiping the Lord. When the spiritual
master sees that the disciple is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he then engages the disciple in directly
worshiping the Personality of Godhead. A bona fide spiritual master does not use anything for his personal
sense gratification and entrusts to his disciple only as much material opulence as the disciple can properly
offer to the lotus feet of the Lord. The example may be given that when an ordinary father tries to train his
son in business and other material activities, he entrusts to the son only as much wealth as the son can
intelligently engage in profitable enterprises without foolishly wasting the father's hard-earned money.
Similarly, the bona fide spiritual master teaches his disciple to worship the Lord, and an immature disciple
must simply deliver everything to the lotus feet of the guru, just as an immature child does not keep a
personal bank account but rather receives his maintenance from the father, who trains the son to be
responsible. If one cheats oneself by defying the order of a bona fide spiritual master or Kṛṣṇa, one
certainly becomes a nondevotee, or sense enjoyer, and falls from the spiritual path. Therefore, one should
be trained to serve a bona fide spiritual master and thus become mature in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

SB 11.17.29
śuśrūṣamāṇa ācāryaḿ sadopāsīta nīca-vat
yāna-śayyāsana-sthānair nāti-dūre kṛtāñjaliḥ

SYNONYMS
śuśrūṣamāṇaḥ — engaged in serving; ācāryam — the bona fide spiritual master; sadā — always; upāsīta —
one should worship; nīca-vat — as a humble servant; yāna — by humbly following behind the guru when he
is walking; śayyā — by taking rest with the spiritual master; āsana — sitting near the guru to render service;
sthānaiḥ — by standing and humbly waiting upon the guru; na — not; ati — very; dūre — far away; kṛta-
añjaliḥ — with folded hands.

TRANSLATION
While engaged in serving the spiritual master one should remain as a humble servant, and thus when the
guru is walking the servant should humbly walk behind. When the guru lies down to sleep, the servant
should also lie down nearby, and when the guru has awakened, the servant should sit near him,
massaging his lotus feet and rendering other, similar services. When the guru is sitting down on his
āsana, the servant should stand nearby with folded hands, awaiting the guru's order. In this way one
should always worship the spiritual master.

SB 11.17.30
evaḿ-vṛtto guru-kule vased bhoga-vivarjitaḥ
vidyā samāpyate yāvad bibhrad vratam akhaṇḍitam

SYNONYMS
evam — thus; vṛttaḥ — engaged; guru-kule — in the āśrama of the spiritual master; vaset — he should live;
bhoga — sense gratification; vivarjitaḥ — freed from; vidyā — Vedic education; samāpyate — is completed;
yāvat — until; bibhrat — maintaining; vratam — the vow (of brahmacarya); akhaṇḍitam — unbroken.

TRANSLATION
 Until the student has completed his Vedic education he should remain engaged in the āśrama of the
spiritual master, should remain completely free of material sense gratification and should not break his
vow of celibacy [brahmacarya].

PURPORT
This verse describes the upakurvāṇa-brahmacārī, who enters gṛhastha-āśrama, or family life, after
completing his Vedic education. The word evaḿ-vṛttaḥ indicates that although one may eventually marry
and become prominent in society as an intellectual, politician or businessman, during student life one must
remain without false prestige as a humble servant of the bona fide spiritual master. The naiṣṭhiki-
brahmacārī, who never marries, is described in the following verse.

SB 11.17.31
yady asau chandasāḿ lokam ārokṣyan brahma-viṣṭapam
gurave vinyased dehaḿ svādhyāyārthaḿ bṛhad-vrataḥ

SYNONYMS
yadi — if; asau — that student; chandasām lokam — the Maharloka planet; ārokṣyan — desiring to ascend
to; brahma-viṣṭapam — Brahmaloka; gurave — unto the guru; vinyaset — he should offer; deham — his
body; sva-adhyāya — of superior Vedic studies; artham — for the purpose; bṛhat-vrataḥ — observing the
powerful vow of perpetual celibacy.

TRANSLATION
If the brahmacārī student desires to ascend to the Maharloka or Brahmaloka planets, then he should
completely surrender his activities to the spiritual master and, observing the powerful vow of perpetual
celibacy, dedicate himself to superior Vedic studies.

PURPORT
One who desires the supreme perfection of life must engage his body, mind and words in the service of a
bona fide spiritual master. One desiring elevation to superior planets such as Brahmaloka and Maharloka
must fully engage in the spiritual master's service. We can thus imagine the sincerity of purpose and service
required to achieve the Kṛṣṇaloka planet, which lies far beyond the material universe.

SB 11.17.32
agnau gurāv ātmani ca sarva-bhūteṣu māḿ param
apṛthag-dhīr upasīta brahma-varcasvy akalmaṣaḥ

SYNONYMS
agnau — in fire; gurau — in the spiritual master; ātmani — in oneself; ca — also; sarva-bhūteṣu — in all
living entities; mām — Me; param — the Supreme; apṛthak-dhīḥ — without any concept of duality; upāsīta
— one should worship; brahma-varcasvī — possessing Vedic enlightenment; akalmaṣaḥ — sinless.

TRANSLATION
Thus enlightened in Vedic knowledge by service to the spiritual master, freed from all sins and duality,
one should worship Me as the Supersoul, as I appear within fire, the spiritual master, one's own self and
all living entities.

PURPORT
One becomes glorious and enlightened by faithfully serving a bona fide spiritual master, who is expert in
the Vedic way of life. Thus purified, one never engages in sinful activities, which immediately extinguish the
fire of spiritual enlightenment; nor does one become foolish and small-minded, trying to exploit material
nature for personal sense gratification. A purified human being is apṛthag-dhī, or without consciousness of
duality, because he has been trained to observe the Supreme Personality of Godhead within all things. Such
sublime consciousness should be systematically taught throughout the world so that human society will
become peaceful and sublime.

SB 11.17.33
strīṇāḿ nirīkṣaṇa-sparśa-saḿlāpa-kṣvelanādikam
 prāṇino mithunī-bhūtān agṛhastho 'gratas tyajet

SYNONYMS
strīṇām — in relation to women; nirīkṣaṇa — glancing; sparśa — touching; saḿlāpa — conversing; kṣvelana
— joking or sporting; ādikam — and so on; prāṇinaḥ — living entities; mithunī-bhūtān — engaged in sex;
agṛha-sthaḥ — a sannyāsī, vānaprastha or brahmacārī; agrataḥ — first of all; tyajet — should give up.

TRANSLATION
Those who are not married — sannyāsīs, vānaprasthas and brahmacārīs — should never associate with
women by glancing, touching, conversing, joking or sporting. Neither should they ever associate with any
living entity engaged in sexual activities.

PURPORT
Prāṇinaḥ indicates all living entities, whether birds, bees or human beings. Among most species of life,
sexual intercourse is preceded by diverse mating rituals. In human society, all types of entertainment
(books, music, films) and all places of amusement (restaurants, shopping centers, resorts) are designed to
stimulate the sexual urge and create an aura of "romance." One who is not married — a sannyāsī,
brahmacārī or vānaprastha — should rigidly avoid anything related to sex and of course should never see
any living entity, whether bird, insect or human, engaging in the various phases of sexual intercourse. When
a man jokes with a woman, an intimate, sexually-charged atmosphere is immediately created, and this
should also be avoided for those aspiring to practice celibacy. Even a householder who becomes attached
to such activities will also fall down into the darkness of ignorance.

SB 11.17.34-35
śaucam ācamanaḿ snānaḿ sandhyopāstir mamārcanam
tīrtha-sevā japo 'spṛśyā-bhakṣyāsambhāṣya-varjanam
sarvāśrama-prayukto 'yaḿ niyamaḥ kula-nandana
mad-bhāvaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu mano-vāk-kāya-saḿyamaḥ

SYNONYMS
śaucam — cleanliness; ācamanam — purifying the hands with water; snānam — bathing; sandhyā — at
sunrise, noon and sunset; upāstiḥ — religious services; mama — of Me; arcanam — worship; tīrtha-sevā —
going to holy places; japaḥ — chanting the holy names of the Lord; aspṛśya — which are untouchable;
abhakṣya — uneatable; asambhāṣya — or not to be discussed; varjanam — avoidance of things; sarva — for
all; āśrama — orders of life; prayuktaḥ — enjoined; ayam — this; niyamaḥ — rule; kula-nandana — My dear
Uddhava; mat-bhāvaḥ — perceiving My existence; sarva-bhūteṣu — in all living entities; manaḥ — of the
mind; vāk — of words; kāya — of the body; saḿyamaḥ — regulation.

TRANSLATION
My dear Uddhava, general cleanliness, washing the hands, bathing, performing religious services at
sunrise, noon and sunset, worshiping Me, visiting holy places, chanting japa, avoiding that which is
untouchable, uneatable or not to be discussed, and remembering My existence within all living entities
as the Supersoul — these principles should be followed by all members of society through regulation of
the mind, words and body.

SB 11.17.36
evaḿ bṛhad-vrata-dharo brāhmaṇo 'gnir iva jvalan
mad-bhaktas tīvra-tapasā dagdha-karmāśayo 'malaḥ

SYNONYMS
evam — thus; bṛhat-vrata — that great vow of perpetual celibacy; dharaḥ — maintaining; brāhmaṇaḥ — a
brāhmaṇa; agniḥ — fire; iva — like; jvalan — becoming bright; mat-bhaktaḥ — My devotee; tīvra-tapasā —
by intense austerities; dagdha — burned; karma — of fruitive activities; āśayaḥ — the propensity or
mentality; amalaḥ — without contamination of material desire.

TRANSLATION
A brāhmaṇa observing the great vow of celibacy becomes brilliant like fire and by serious austerity burns
to ashes the propensity to perform material activities. Free from the contamination of material desire, he
becomes My devotee.

PURPORT
The process of liberation is described in this verse. Once when Śrīla Prabhupāda was traveling by airplane, a
fellow passenger, who happened to be a priest, told him that he had seen his disciples and found them
"bright-faced." Śrīla Prabhupāda was fond of relating this incident. The spirit soul is more brilliant than the
sun, and as the process of spiritual purification gradually takes effect, even the external form of a devotee
becomes effulgent. The glowing fire of spiritual knowledge burns to ashes the mentality of sense
gratification, and one naturally becomes austere and disinterested in mundane enjoyment. Among all
austerities, the best is celibacy, by which the shackles of material life immediately become slackened. One
who is amala, free from material desire, is known as a pure devotee of the Lord. On the paths of jñāna,
karma and yoga the mind retains the concept of personal interest, but on the path of pure devotion the
mind is trained to see only the interests of the Personality of Godhead. Thus a pure devotee of the Lord is
amala, completely pure.

SB 11.17.37
athānantaram āvekṣyan yathā-jijñāsitāgamaḥ
gurave dakṣiṇāḿ dattvā snāyād gurv-anumoditaḥ

SYNONYMS
atha — thus; anantaram — after that; āvekṣyan — desiring to enter family life; yathā — properly; jijñāsita
— having studied; āgamaḥ — the Vedic literature; gurave — to the spiritual master; dakṣiṇām —
remuneration; dattvā — giving; snāyāt — the brahmacārī should cleanse himself, comb his hair, put on nice
clothes, etc.; guru — by the spiritual master; anumoditaḥ — permitted.

TRANSLATION
A brahmacārī who has completed his Vedic education and desires to enter household life should offer
proper remuneration to the spiritual master, bathe, cut his hair, put on proper clothes, and so on. Then,
taking permission from the guru, he should go back to his home.

PURPORT
This verse describes the process called samāvartana, or returning to one's home after finishing Vedic
education in the āśrama of the spiritual master. One who cannot concentrate all of his desires in the
devotional service of the Lord is attracted to householder life, and if this attraction is not regulated, one will
fall down. Being covered by the ignorance of fruitive activities and mental speculation, a living entity seeks
enjoyment outside the devotional service of the Supreme Lord and becomes a nondevotee. One who takes
to family life must rigidly follow the Vedic rules and regulations in order to avoid the collapse of his spiritual
determination. One who enjoys intimate sense gratification with women must become duplicitous in his
dealings with others and consequently falls down from the platform of simple, pure life. When the mind is
disturbed by lust, one begins to resent the principle of submission to the Supreme Personality of Godhead
and His pure devotee, and the dark clouds of one's offensive mentality completely cover the light of
spiritual knowledge. One should dovetail his propensity to love someone by serving the lotus feet of a pure
devotee. As stated in Vedic literature, "One who worships Govinda, Lord Kṛṣṇa, but does not worship His
devotees is not to be considered an advanced Vaiṣṇava; rather, he is to be considered a proud hypocrite."

SB 11.17.38
gṛhaḿ vanaḿ vopaviśet pravrajed vā dvijottamaḥ
āśramād āśramaḿ gacchen nānyathāmat-paraś caret

SYNONYMS
gṛham — the family home; vanam — the forest; vā — either; upaviśet — one should enter; pravrajet — one
should renounce; vā — or; dvija-uttamaḥ — a brāhmaṇa; āśramāt — from one authorized status of life;
āśramam — to another authorized status; gacchet — one should go; na — not; anyathā — otherwise;
amat-paraḥ — one who is not surrendered to Me; caret — should act.
 TRANSLATION
A brahmacārī desiring to fulfill his material desires should live at home with his family, and a householder
who is eager to purify his consciousness should enter the forest, whereas a purified brāhmaṇa should
accept the renounced order of life. One who is not surrendered to Me should move progressively from
one āśrama to another, never acting otherwise.

PURPORT
Those who are not surrendered devotees of the Lord must rigidly observe the regulations governing one's
authorized social status. There are four social divisions of life, namely brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha
and sannyāsa. One who wants to fulfill material desires should become an ordinary householder (gṛhastha),
establish a comfortable residence and maintain his family. One desiring to accelerate the process of
purification may give up his home and business and live in a sacred place with his wife, as indicated here by
the word vanam, or "forest." There are many sacred forests in India meant for this purpose, such as
Vṛndāvana and Māyāpur. The word dvijottama indicates the brāhmaṇas. Brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas
are all dvija, or initiated in the Gāyatrī mantra, but the brāhmaṇa is dvijottama, or the highest among those
who have received second birth by spiritual initiation. It is recommended that a purified brāhmaṇa take to
the renounced order of life (sannyāsa), giving up further contact with his so-called wife. The brāhmaṇa is
specifically mentioned here, since kṣatriyas and vaiśyas are not to take the renounced order of life. Even so,
there are many stories in the Bhāgavatam wherein great kings retire with their aristocratic wives to the
forest to practice the austerities of vānaprastha and thus accelerate the process of purification. The
brāhmaṇas, however, may directly accept the renounced order of life.
The words āśramād āśramaḿ gacchet indicate that one may progressively move from brahmacārī life to
gṛhastha life to vānaprastha life and then to sannyāsa. The words āśramād āśramam emphasize that one
should never remain without an authorized social status, nor should one go backward, falling down from a
higher position. Those who are not surrendered devotees of the Lord must rigidly observe such injunctions,
for otherwise they will quickly become degraded, and their sins will place them outside the bounds of
authorized human civilization.
Lord Kṛṣṇa emphasizes here that a nondevotee must rigidly observe the rituals and regulations of Vedic
social divisions, whereas the Lord's pure devotee, engaged twenty-four hours a day in Lord Kṛṣṇa's mission,
is transcendental to such divisions. If, however, one performs illicit activities on the strength of being
transcendental to Vedic social divisions, one is revealed to be a materialistic neophyte and not an advanced
devotee of the Lord. An advanced devotee, who remains aloof from material sense gratification, is not
bound by the Vedic social divisions; thus even a householder may live very austerely, traveling and
preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness away from home, and even a sannyāsī may sometimes engage women in
the devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The most advanced devotees cannot be restricted by the rituals and
regulations of the varṇāśrama system, and they move freely around the world distributing love of Godhead.
Mat-para indicates a pure devotee of the Lord who always keeps the Lord fixed in his heart and
consciousness. One who falls down to become a victim of sense gratification is not fully established on the
platform of mat-para and should rigidly observe the social divisions and regulations to remain steady on the
platform of pious human life.

SB 11.17.39
gṛhārthī sadṛśīḿ bhāryām udvahed ajugupsitām
yavīyasīḿ tu vayasā yaḿ sa-varṇām anu kramāt

SYNONYMS
gṛha — household; arthī — one who desires; sadṛśīm — possessing similar characteristics; bhāryām — a
wife; udvahet — one should marry; ajugupsitām — beyond reproach; yavīyasīm — younger; tu — indeed;
vayasā — by age; yām — another wife; sa-varṇām — the first wife who is of the same caste; anu — after;
kramāt — in succession.

TRANSLATION
One who desires to establish family life should marry a wife of his own caste, who is beyond reproach
and younger in age. If one desires to accept many wives he must marry them after the first marriage, and
each wife should be of a successively lower caste.

PURPORT
 As stated in the Vedic literature,
tisro varṇānupūrvyeṇa dve tathaikā yathā-kramam
brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya-viśāḿ bhāryāḥ svāḥ śūdra-janmanaḥ
The purport of this verse is that one's first wife must always be sadṛśīm, or similar to oneself. In other
words, an intellectual man should marry an intellectual wife, a heroic man should marry a heroic wife, a
business minded man should marry a woman who can encourage him in such activities, and a śūdra should
marry a less intelligent woman. The wife must be beyond reproach in terms of her background and
character and should always be younger than oneself, ideally five to ten years younger. If one desires to
marry a second wife, then, as stated in this verse by the word varṇānupūrvyeṇa and in the verse spoken by
Lord Kṛṣṇa by the word anukramāt, one must wait until the first marriage is established and then select a
second wife from the next-lower caste. If one marries a third time the wife must be, again, from the next-
lower caste. For example, a brāhmaṇa's first wife will be a brāhmaṇī, his second wife will be from the
kṣatriya community, his third wife from the vaiśya community and fourth wife from the śūdra community.
A kṣatriya may first marry a kṣatriya lady and then vaiśya and śūdra ladies. A vaiśya can accept wives from
two classes, and a śūdra will accept a wife only from the śūdra class. By this progression of marriages there
will be relative peace in the family. These Vedic marriage injunctions, as mentioned in the previous verse,
are especially for those who are not pure devotees of the Lord.

SB 11.17.40
ijyādhyayana-dānāni sarveṣāḿ ca dvi-janmanām
pratigraho 'dhyāpanaḿ ca brāhmaṇasyaiva yājanam

SYNONYMS
ijyā — sacrifice; adhyayana — Vedic study; dānāni — charity; sarveṣām — of all; ca — also; dvi-janmanām
— those who are twice-born; pratigrahaḥ — acceptance of charity; adhyāpanam — teaching Vedic
knowledge; ca — also; brāhmaṇasya — of the brāhmaṇa; eva — only; yājanam — performing sacrifices for
others.

TRANSLATION
All twice-born men — brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas — must perform sacrifice, study the Vedic
literature and give charity. Only the brāhmaṇas, however, accept charity, teach the Vedic knowledge and
perform sacrifice on behalf of others.

PURPORT
All civilized men must participate in sacrificial performances, give charity and study the Vedic literature. The
best of the twice-born, namely the brāhmaṇas, are specifically empowered to lead sacrificial performances
on behalf of all members of society, teach everyone Vedic knowledge and receive everyone's charity.
Without the assistance or participation of qualified brāhmaṇas, the lower classes cannot properly study the
Vedic literature, perform sacrifices or give in charity, because they do not have the required intelligence to
perfectly execute such functions. When kṣatriyas and vaiśyas take shelter of bona fide brāhmaṇas, they are
able to properly execute their respective duties, and society functions smoothly and efficiently.

SB 11.17.41
pratigrahaḿ manyamānas tapas-tejo-yaśo-nudam
anyābhyām eva jīveta śilair vā doṣa-dṛk tayoḥ

SYNONYMS
pratigraham — accepting charity; manyamānaḥ — considering; tapaḥ — of one's austerity; tejaḥ —
spiritual influence; yaśaḥ — and fame; nudam — destruction; anyābhyām — by the other two (teaching
Vedic knowledge and performing sacrifice); eva — indeed; jīveta — a brāhmaṇa should live; śilaiḥ — by
collecting rejected grains in the field; vā — or; doṣa — the discrepancy; dṛk — seeing; tayoḥ — of those
two.

TRANSLATION
A brāhmaṇa who considers that accepting charity from others will destroy his austerity, spiritual
influence and fame should maintain himself by the other two brahminical occupations, namely teaching
Vedic knowledge and performing sacrifice. If the brāhmaṇa considers that those two occupations also
 compromise his spiritual position, then he should collect rejected grains in agricultural fields and live
without any dependence on others.

PURPORT
A pure devotee of the Lord should always remember that the Supreme Personality of Godhead will
personally take care of him. As the Lord states in Bhagavad-gītā (9.22):
ananyāś cintayanto māḿ ye janāḥ paryupāsate
teṣāḿ nityābhiyuktānāḿ yoga-kṣemaḿ vahāmy aham
"But those who worship Me with devotion, meditating on My transcendental form — to them I carry what
they lack and preserve what they have."
A brāhmaṇa should not become a professional beggar for his personal maintenance. In India there are
many so-called brāhmaṇas who sit at the gates of important temples and beg from everyone who comes
and goes. If someone does not give a donation they become angry and chase that person. Similarly, in
America there are many big preachers who collect huge amounts of money by begging on television and
radio. If a brāhmaṇa or Vaiṣṇava considers that being a professional beggar is weakening his austerity,
destroying his spiritual influence and giving him a bad reputation, then he should give up that process. One
may beg everyone to contribute to the cause of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but one will be
diminished in austerity, influence and reputation by begging for one's personal livelihood. A brāhmaṇa may
then take up the task of teaching Vedic knowledge and performing sacrifice. But even such occupations do
not bring one to the highest platform of trust in God. A brāhmaṇa who teaches as a means of livelihood
may often be curbed in his teaching, and one who performs sacrifice may be manipulated by materialistic
worshipers. In this way, a brāhmaṇa may be placed in an embarrassing and compromised position.
Therefore a high-class brāhmaṇa or Vaiṣṇava ultimately will depend completely on the mercy of the Lord
for his maintenance. The Lord promises to maintain His devotee, and an advanced Vaiṣṇava never doubts
the word of the Lord.

SB 11.17.42
brāhmaṇasya hi deho 'yaḿ kṣudra-kāmāya neṣyate
kṛcchrāya tapase ceha pretyānanta-sukhāya ca

SYNONYMS
brāhmaṇasya — of a brāhmaṇa; hi — certainly; dehaḥ — body; ayam — this; kṣudra — insignificant;
kāmāya — for sense gratification; na — not; iṣyate — is meant; kṛcchrāya — for difficult; tapase —
austerities; ca — also; iha — in this world; pretya — after death; ananta — unlimited; sukhāya —
happiness; ca — also.

TRANSLATION
The body of a brāhmaṇa is not intended to enjoy insignificant material sense gratification; rather, by
accepting difficult austerities in his life, a brāhmaṇa will enjoy unlimited happiness after death.

PURPORT
One may ask why a brāhmaṇa should voluntarily accept inconvenience in keeping his body and soul
together. In this verse the Lord explains that advanced human life is meant for serious austerity and not for
insignificant sense gratification. By spiritual advancement one is fixed in transcendental bliss on the
spiritual platform and gives up useless absorption in the temporary material body. One should remain
detached from the material body, accepting only the bare necessities of life. The brāhmaṇas, by accepting a
troublesome form of livelihood, never forget that the material body is destined to grow old, become
diseased and die in misery. Thus remaining alert and transcendental, an advanced brāhmaṇa, at the end of
this life, goes back home, back to Godhead, where he enjoys unlimited spiritual bliss. Without such higher
awareness, how can one be considered a qualified brāhmaṇa?
Those devotees engaged twenty-four hours a day in spreading the mission of Lord Kṛṣṇa are beyond the
platform of renunciation or sense gratification because they engage everything in Lord Kṛṣṇa's service. A
pure devotee of the Lord eats only to get strength for serving the Lord and does not accept either
sumptuous or meager food simply for the body's sake. However, everything may be accepted for the Lord,
even sumptuous meals. A brāhmaṇa who is not working day and night to spread the glories of the Lord
should feel embarrassed to eat sumptuously for his personal sense gratification, but a renounced Vaiṣṇava
 preacher may accept invitations from all classes of pious people, and just to bless their homes he will eat
the opulent foods they offer to him. Similarly, he sometimes eats sumptuously to get strength for defeating
atheists and impersonalists. As stated in Vedic literature, one cannot be a highly qualified brāhmaṇa unless
one becomes a devotee of the Lord. And among the devotees, those who are preaching Kṛṣṇa
consciousness are the best, as confirmed by the Lord Himself in the Eighteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā.

SB 11.17.43
śiloñcha-vṛttyā parituṣṭa-citto
dharmaḿ mahāntaḿ virajaḿ juṣāṇaḥ
mayy arpitātmā gṛha eva tiṣṭhan
nāti-prasaktaḥ samupaiti śāntim

SYNONYMS
śila-uñcha — of gleaning grains; vṛttyā — by the occupation; parituṣṭa — fully satisfied; cittaḥ — whose
consciousness; dharmam — religious principles; mahāntam — magnanimous and hospitable; virajam —
purified of material desire; juṣāṇaḥ — cultivating; mayi — in Me; arpita — dedicated; ātmā — whose mind;
gṛhe — at home; eva — even; tiṣṭhan — remaining; na — not; ati — very; prasaktaḥ — attached; samupaiti
— achieves; śāntim — liberation.

TRANSLATION
A brāhmaṇa householder should remain satisfied in mind by gleaning rejected grains from agricultural
fields and marketplaces. Keeping himself free of personal desire, he should practice magnanimous
religious principles, with consciousness absorbed in Me. In this way a brāhmaṇa may stay at home as a
householder without very much attachment and thus achieve liberation.

PURPORT
Mahāntam refers to magnanimous religious principles such as very hospitably receiving guests, even those
who are uninvited and unexpected. Householders must always be magnanimous and charitable to others,
being alert to curb unnecessary affection and attachment in family life. In the past, very renounced
brāhmaṇa householders would collect grains that had fallen on the ground in the marketplace or those that
had been left behind in the fields after harvesting. The most important item here is mayy arpitātmā, or
fixing the mind in Lord Kṛṣṇa. Despite his material situation, anyone who constantly meditates upon the
Lord can become a liberated soul. As stated in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.187),
īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā manasā girā
nikhilāsv api avasthāsu jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate
"A person acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness [or, in other words, in the service of Kṛṣṇa] with his body, mind,
intelligence and words is a liberated person, even within the material world, although he may be engaged
in many so-called material activities."

SB 11.17.44
samuddharanti ye vipraḿ sīdantaḿ mat-parāyaṇam
tān uddhariṣye na cirād āpadbhyo naur ivārṇavāt

SYNONYMS
samuddharanti — uplift; ye — those who; vipram — a brāhmaṇa or devotee; sīdantam — suffering (from
poverty); mat-parāyaṇam — surrendered to Me; tān — those who have uplifted; uddhariṣye — I will uplift;
na cirāt — in the near future; āpadbhyaḥ — from all miseries; nauḥ — a boat; iva — like; arṇavāt — from
the ocean.

TRANSLATION
Just as a ship rescues those who have fallen into the ocean, similarly, I very quickly rescue from all
calamities those persons who uplift brāhmaṇas and devotees suffering in a poverty-stricken condition.

PURPORT
The Lord has described how brāhmaṇas and devotees achieve the perfection of life, and now a similar
perfection is offered to those who utilize their materialistic wealth to relieve the poverty-stricken condition
of devotees and brāhmaṇas. Although one may neglect the devotional service of the Lord to pursue a
material life of sense gratification, one can rectify one's position by dedicating one's hard-earned money to
the service of the Lord. Seeing the difficult austerities accepted by saintly persons, a pious person should
make arrangements for their comfort. Just as a boat saves hopeless people who have fallen into the ocean,
similarly, the Lord uplifts persons who have hopelessly fallen into the ocean of material attachment if they
have been charitable to the brāhmaṇas and devotees.

SB 11.17.45
sarvāḥ samuddhared rājā piteva vyasanāt prajāḥ
ātmānam ātmanā dhīro yathā gaja-patir gajān

SYNONYMS
sarvāḥ — all; samuddharet — must uplift; rājā — the king; pitā — a father; iva — like; vyasanāt — from
difficulties; prajāḥ — the citizens; ātmānam — himself; ātmana — by himself; dhīraḥ — fearless; yathā —
just as; gaja-patiḥ — a bull elephant; gajān — the other elephants.

TRANSLATION
Just as the chief bull elephant protects all other elephants in his herd and defends himself as well,
similarly, a fearless king, just like a father, must save all of the citizens from difficulty and also protect
himself.

PURPORT
Lord Kṛṣṇa, having concluded His discussion of brahminical duties, now describes the character and
activities of a king. Protecting all of the citizens from difficulty is an essential duty for the king.

SB 11.17.46
evaḿ-vidho nara-patir vimānenārka-varcasā
vidhūyehāśubhaḿ kṛtsnam indreṇa saha modate

SYNONYMS
evam-vidhaḥ — thus (protecting himself and the citizens); nara-patiḥ — the king; vimānena — with an
airplane; arka-varcasā — as brilliant as the sun; vidhūya — removing; iha — on the earth; aśubham — sins;
kṛtsnam — all; indreṇa — Lord Indra; saha — with; modate — he enjoys.

TRANSLATION
An earthly king who protects himself and all citizens by removing all sins from his kingdom will certainly
enjoy with Lord Indra in airplanes as brilliant as the sun.

SB 11.17.47
sīdan vipro vaṇig-vṛttyā paṇyair evāpadaḿ taret
khaḍgena vāpadākrānto na śva-vṛttyā kathañcana

SYNONYMS
sīdan — suffering; vipraḥ — a brāhmaṇa; vaṇik — of a merchant; vṛttyā — by the occupation; paṇyaiḥ — by
doing business; eva — indeed; āpadam — suffering; taret — should overcome; khaḍgena — with sword; vā
— or; āpadā — by suffering; ākrāntaḥ — afflicted; na — not; śva — of the dog; vṛttyā — by the occupation;
kathañcana — by any means.

TRANSLATION
If a brāhmaṇa cannot support himself through his regular duties and is thus suffering, he may adopt the
occupation of a merchant and overcome his destitute condition by buying and selling material things. If
he continues to suffer extreme poverty even as a merchant, then he may adopt the occupation of a
kṣatriya, taking sword in hand. But he cannot in any circumstances become like a dog, accepting an
ordinary master.

PURPORT
 Śva-vṛttyā, or "a dog's profession," refers to the śūdras, who cannot live without accepting a master. A
destitute brāhmaṇa who is suffering intolerably may become a merchant and then a kṣatriya but may never
take the position of a śūdra by working in a company or accepting a master. Although a kṣatriya is ordinarily
considered more elevated than a vaiśya, the Lord here recommends that distressed brāhmaṇas first accept
the vaiśya occupation, since it is not violent.

SB 11.17.48
vaiśya-vṛttyā tu rājanyo jīven mṛgayayāpadi
cared vā vipra-rūpeṇa na śva-vṛttyā kathañcana

SYNONYMS
vaiśya — of the mercantile class; vṛttyā — by the occupation; tu — indeed; rājanyaḥ — a king; jīvet — may
maintain himself; mṛgayayā — by hunting; āpadi — in an emergency or disastrous situation; caret — may
act; vā — or; vipra-rūpeṇa — in the form of a brāhmaṇa; na — never; śva — of the dog; vṛttyā — by the
profession; kathañcana — in any circumstance.

TRANSLATION
A king or other member of the royal order who cannot maintain himself by his normal occupation may
act as a vaiśya, may live by hunting or may act as a brāhmaṇa by teaching others Vedic knowledge. But
he may not under any circumstances adopt the profession of a śūdra.

SB 11.17.49
śūdra-vṛttiḿ bhajed vaiśyaḥ śūdraḥ kāru-kaṭa-kriyām
kṛcchrān mukto na garhyeṇa vṛttiḿ lipseta karmaṇā

SYNONYMS
śūdra — of the śūdras; vṛttim — occupation; bhajet — may accept; vaiśyaḥ — a vaiśya; śūdraḥ — a śūdra;
kāru — of the artisan; kaṭa — straw baskets and mats; kriyām — making; kṛcchrāt — from the difficult
situation; muktaḥ — freed; na — not; garhyeṇa — by that which is inferior; vṛttim — livelihood; lipseta —
one should desire; karmaṇā — by work.

TRANSLATION
A vaiśya, or mercantile man, who cannot maintain himself may adopt the occupation of a śūdra, snd a
śūdra who cannot find a master can engage in simple activities like making baskets and mats of straw.
However, all members of society who have adopted inferior occupations in emergency situations must
give up those substitute occupations when the difficulties have passed.

SB 11.17.50
vedādhyāya-svadhā-svāhā-baly-annādyair yathodayam
devarṣi-pitṛ-bhūtāni mad-rūpāṇy anv-ahaḿ yajet

SYNONYMS
veda-adhyāya — by study of Vedic knowledge; svadhā — by offering the mantra svadhā; svāhā — by
offering the mantra svāhā; bali — by token offerings of food; anna-ādyaiḥ — by offering grains, water, etc.;
yathā — according to; udayam — one's prosperity; deva — the demigods; ṛṣi — sages; pitṛ — the
forefathers; bhūtāni — and all living entities; mat-rūpāṇi — manifestations of My potency; anu-aham —
daily; yajet — one should worship.

TRANSLATION
One in the gṛhastha order of life should daily worship the sages by Vedic study, the forefathers by
offering the mantra svadhā, the demigods by chanting svāhā, all living entities by offering shares of one's
meals, and human beings by offering grains and water. Thus considering the demigods, sages,
forefathers, living entities and human beings to be manifestations of My potency, one should daily
perform these five sacrifices.

PURPORT
 The Lord again discusses the duties of those in the household order of life. Obviously, the five ritualistic
daily sacrifices mentioned here are meant for those who are not pure devotees of the Lord and who thus
have to counteract their exploitation of material nature by the abovementioned sacrifices. The
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is training householders, sannyāsīs, brahmacārīs
and vānaprasthas to engage twenty-four hours a day in the loving service of the Lord. Those who are full-
time missionary workers in ISKCON have no further obligations or sacrifices to perform, as confirmed in the
Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.41):
devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāḿ pitṝṇāḿ na kińkaro nāyam ṛṇī ca rājan
sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇaḿ śaraṇyaḿ gato mukundaḿ parihṛtya kartam
"Anyone who has taken shelter at the lotus feet of Mukunda, the giver of liberation, giving up all kinds of
obligation, and has taken to the path in all seriousness, owes neither duties nor obligations to the
demigods, sages, general living entities, family members, humankind or forefathers."

SB 11.17.51
Yadṛcchayopapannena śuklenopārjitena vā
dhanenāpīḍayan bhṛtyān nyāyenaivāharet kratūn

SYNONYMS
yadṛcchayā — without endeavor; upapannena — which is acquired; śuklena — by one's honest occupation;
upārjitena — acquired; vā — or; dhanena — with money; apīḍayan — not subjecting to discomfort; bhṛtyān
— dependents; nyāyena — properly; eva — indeed; āharet — one should perform; kratūn — sacrifices and
other religious ceremonies.

TRANSLATION
A householder should comfortably maintain his dependents either with money that comes of its own
accord or with that gathered by honest execution of one's duties. According to one's means, one should
perform sacrifices and other religious ceremonies.

PURPORT
The Lord here describes the religious duties that are to be performed as far as possible, according to one's
means, and when there is opportunity.

SB 11.17.52
kuṭumbeṣu na sajjeta na pramādyet kuṭumby api
vipaścin naśvaraḿ paśyed adṛṣṭam api dṛṣṭa-vat

SYNONYMS
kuṭumbeṣu — to the family members; na — not; sajjeta — one should be attached; na — not; pramādyet —
should become crazy; kuṭumbī — having many dependent family members; api — although; vipaścit — a
wise person; naśvaram — temporary; paśyet — should see; adṛṣṭam — future rewards such as residence in
heaven; api — indeed; dṛṣṭa-vat — just like that which is already experienced.

TRANSLATION
A householder taking care of many dependent family members should not become materially attached
to them, nor should he become mentally unbalanced, considering himself to be the lord. An intelligent
householder should see that all possible future happiness, just like that which he has already
experienced, is temporary.

PURPORT
A family man often acts like a lord, protecting his wife, ordering his children, maintaining servants,
grandchildren, domestic animals, and so forth. The words na pramādyet kuṭumby api indicate that although
one acts like a little lord, surrounded by his family, servants and friends, one should not, through false
pride, become mentally unbalanced, considering oneself to be the actual lord. The word vipaścit indicates
that one should remain sober and intelligent, never forgetting oneself to be the eternal servant of the
Supreme Lord.
Householders of the upper, middle and lower classes become attached to different types of sense
gratification. In any economic or social class, however, one should remember that all material enjoyment,
either here or in the next life, is temporary and ultimately useless. A responsible householder should guide
his family members and other dependents back home, back to Godhead, for an eternal life of bliss and
knowledge. One should not become a false and puffed-up lord for a brief span of time, for then one will
remain bound up, along with his family members, in the cycle of repeated birth and death.

SB 11.17.53
putra-dārāpta-bandhūnāḿ sańgamaḥ pāntha-sańgamaḥ
anu-dehaḿ viyanty ete svapno nidrānugo yathā

SYNONYMS
putra — of children; dāra — wife; āpta — relatives; bandhūnām — and friends; sańgamaḥ — the
association, living together; pāntha — of travelers; sańgamaḥ — association; anu-deham — with each
change of body; viyanti — they are separated; ete — all these; svapnaḥ — a dream; nidrā — in sleep;
anugaḥ — occurring; yathā — just as.

TRANSLATION
The association of children, wife, relatives and friends is just like the brief meeting of travelers. With each
change of body one is separated from all such associates, just as one loses the objects one possesses in a
dream when the dream is over.

PURPORT
Pāntha-sańgama indicates the momentary association of travelers at hotels, restaurants, tourist spots or, in
more traditional cultures, freshwater wells and walking paths. We are now associated with many relatives,
friends and well-wishers, but as soon as we change our material body we will immediately be separated
from all these associates, just as upon awakening we are immediately separated from the imaginary
situation of a dream. One becomes attached to the sense gratification of one's dream, and similarly, under
the spell of the illusory concepts of "I" and "mine," we become attached to so-called relatives and friends
who gratify our sense of false ego. Unfortunately, such fleeting egoistic association covers our real
knowledge of the self and the Supreme, and we remain hovering in material illusion, futilely endeavoring
for permanent sense gratification. One who remains attached to the bodily concept of family and friends
cannot possibly give up the false egoism of "I" and "mine," or "I am everything and everything is mine."
Without giving up material sense gratification we cannot become steady on the transcendental platform of
devotional service, and therefore we cannot relish the actual flavor of eternal happiness. Unless one
becomes a pure devotee of the Lord, accepting Lord Kṛṣṇa as one's only friend, one cannot give up the
hankering for temporary and superficial material relationships. A traveler far away from his home and loved
ones may strike up superficial conversations with other travelers, but such relationships have no ultimate
meaning. One should therefore revive one's lost relationship with Lord Kṛṣṇa. We are constitutionally part
and parcel of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the reservoir of all spiritual pleasure, and our original relationship with Him
is full of love and happiness. But because of our desire to enjoy independently from Him, we fall down into
the confusing, meaningless network of material relationships created by māyā. An intelligent person
realizes there is no actual pleasure or satisfaction for the soul on either this planet or any other material
planet. Therefore, like a weary traveler exhausted from his journey, he should go back home, back to
Godhead, for eternal peace as the faithful servant of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

SB 11.17.54
itthaḿ parimṛśan mukto gṛheṣv atithi-vad vasan
na gṛhair anubadhyeta nirmamo nirahańkṛtaḥ

SYNONYMS
ittham — thus; parimṛśan — deeply considering; muktaḥ — a liberated soul; gṛheṣu — at home; atithi-vat
— just like a guest; vasan — living; na — not; gṛhaiḥ — by the domestic situation; anubadhyeta — should
become bound; nirmamaḥ — without any sense of personal proprietorship; nirahańkṛtaḥ — without false
ego.

TRANSLATION
Deeply considering the actual situation, a liberated soul should live at home just like a guest, without any
sense of proprietorship or false ego. In this way he will not be bound or entangled by domestic affairs.

PURPORT
The word mukta, or "liberated," refers to one freed from all material attachment. In this status, called
mukta-sańga, one no longer identifies oneself as a permanent resident of the material world. This liberated
status may be attained even by one situated in family life. The only requirement is that one should take up
a serious program of kṛṣṇa-sańkīrtana, which includes constant chanting of the holy names of the Lord,
worship of the Deity and participation in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Without a serious program of
kṛṣṇa-sańkīrtana it is very difficult to give up the iron shackles of attachment to women and the byproducts
of such attachment.

SB 11.17.55
karmabhir gṛha-medhīyair iṣṭvā mām eva bhaktimān
tiṣṭhed vanaḿ vopaviśet prajāvān vā parivrajet

SYNONYMS
karmabhiḥ — by activities; gṛha-medhīyaiḥ — suitable for family life; iṣṭvā — worshiping; mām — Me; eva
— indeed; bhakti-mān — being a devotee; tiṣṭhet — one may remain at home; vanam — the forest; vā —
or; upaviśet — may enter; prajā-vān — having responsible children; vā — or; parivrajet — may take
sannyāsa.

TRANSLATION
A householder devotee who worships Me by execution of his family duties may remain at home, go to a
holy place or, if he has a responsible son, take sannyāsa.

PURPORT
This verse describes the three alternatives for a householder. He may continue at home, or he may take
vānaprastha, which involves going to a sacred place with one's wife. Or if he has a responsible son to take
over his family duties, he may take sannyāsa, the renounced order, for a definitive solution to the problems
of life. In all three āśramas, ultimate success depends on sincere surrender to the Supreme Lord; therefore,
the most important qualification one can have is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

SB 11.17.56
yas tv āsakta-matir gehe putra-vittaiṣaṇāturaḥ
straiṇaḥ kṛpaṇa-dhīr mūḍho mamāham iti badhyate

SYNONYMS
yaḥ — one who; tu — however; āsakta — attached; matiḥ — whose consciousness; gehe — to his home;
putra — for children; vitta — and money; eṣaṇa — by ardent desire; āturaḥ — disturbed; straiṇaḥ — lusty
to enjoy women; kṛpaṇa — miserly; dhīḥ — whose mentality; mūḍhaḥ — unintelligent; mama —
everything is mine; aham — I am everything; iti — thus thinking; badhyate — is bound.

TRANSLATION
But a householder whose mind is attached to his home and who is thus disturbed by ardent desires to
enjoy his money and children, who is lusty after women, who is possessed of a miserly mentality and
who unintelligently thinks, "Everything is mine and I am everything," is certainly bound in illusion.

PURPORT
Although one may try by various analytical or psychological processes to detach the mind from illusory
family attachment, one will inevitably be drawn back into the network of material attachment unless the
heart is purified by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A miserly householder thinks only of his own family or community,
without mercy for outsiders. Being egoistic, lusty, attached and always disturbed by ardent desires to enjoy
money and children, a materialistic householder is hopelessly bound in a web of anxiety.

SB 11.17.57
aho me pitarau vṛddhau bhāryā bālātmajātmajāḥ
 anāthā mām ṛte dīnāḥ kathaḿ jīvanti duḥkhitāḥ

SYNONYMS
aho — alas; me — my; pitarau — parents; vṛddhau — elderly; bhāryā — wife; bāla-ātma-jā — having a
mere infant in her arms; ātmā-jāḥ — and my other young children; anāthāḥ — with no one to protect
them; mām — me; ṛte — without; dīnāḥ — wretched; katham — how in the world; jīvanti — can they live;
duḥkhitāḥ — suffering greatly.

TRANSLATION
"O my poor elderly parents, and my wife with a mere infant in her arms, and my other young children!
Without me they have absolutely no one to protect them and will suffer unbearably. How can my poor
relatives possibly live without me?"

SB 11.17.58
evaḿ gṛhāśayākṣipta-hṛdayo mūḍha-dhīr ayam
atṛptas tān anudhyāyan mṛto 'ndhaḿ viśate tamaḥ

SYNONYMS
evam — thus; gṛha — in his domestic situation; āśaya — by intense desire; ākṣipta — overwhelmed;
hṛdayaḥ — his heart; mūḍha — unintelligent; dhīḥ — whose point of view; ayam — this person; atṛptaḥ —
unsatisfied; tān — them (family members); anudhyāyan — constantly thinking of; mṛtaḥ — he dies;
andham — blindness; viśate — enters; tamaḥ — darkness.

TRANSLATION
Thus, because of his foolish mentality, a householder whose heart is overwhelmed by family attachment
is never satisfied. Constantly meditating on his relatives, he dies and enters into the darkness of
ignorance.

PURPORT
Andhaḿ viśate tamaḥ indicates that in his next life an attached householder will certainly be degraded
because of his primitive mentality of bodily attachment, which is called mūḍha-dhī. In other words, after
enjoying the sense gratification of considering oneself the center of everything, one enters into a lower
species of life. Somehow or other, we must fix our minds on Lord Kṛṣṇa and come out of the darkness of
ignorance to our real life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.