Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 16

Yoga-siddhi — The Mystic Perfections and Their Origin in Meditation on the Lord

Devanagari script

नारायणे तुरीयाख्ये भगवच्छब्दशब्दिते । मनो मय्यादधद् योगी मद्धर्मा वशितामियात् ॥ १६ ॥

Transliteration

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

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.

Synonyms

• नारायणे: in Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तुरीय-आख्ये: in (him) called ‘the fourth’
• तुरीय-आख्ये: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुरीय (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः (तत्पुरुष: ‘named as the fourth’)

• भगवत्-शब्द-शब्दिते: designated by the word ‘Bhagavān’
• भगवत्-शब्द-शब्दिते: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक) + शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + शब्दित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः (तत्पुरुष); शब्दित = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• मनः: the mind
• मनः: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मयि: in me
• मयि: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• आदधत्: placing/fixing
• आदधत्: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+धा (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमाने कृदन्तः, शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः (present active participle); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• योगी: the yogi
• योगी: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मत्-धर्मा: one devoted to my dharma
• मत्-धर्मा: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत् (अस्मद्-षष्ठी एकवचनस्य रूपम्, प्रातिपदिकवत्) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः (‘whose dharma is mine’ / ‘devoted to my dharma’)

• वशिताम्: mastery (siddhi)
• वशिताम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वशिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• इयात्: would attain/go to
• इयात्: क्रिया (Kriyā/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

Purport

In Bhagavad-gītā (7.13) Lord Kṛṣṇa states:

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Bhagavān (the Supreme Lord)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about focusing the mind on Nārāyaṇa (turīya)?

This verse teaches that when a yogī fixes the mind on Nārāyaṇa—the transcendent turīya, the Supreme Bhagavān—he attains inner mastery (vaśitā), meaning control and steadiness born of divine absorption.

Why did Kṛṣṇa say this to Uddhava in Canto 11?

In the Uddhava Gītā section on yoga perfections, Kṛṣṇa explains that real yogic control arises from absorption in the Supreme Lord, not merely from technique—thus He directs Uddhava toward God-centered meditation.

Practical application of this verse in modern life?

Daily, place the mind on the Lord through nāma-japa, prayer, and remembrance; as devotion deepens, self-control becomes natural—reducing distraction, impulsiveness, and anxiety.