Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

चक्षुस्त्वष्टरि संयोज्य त्वष्टारमपि चक्षुषि । मां तत्र मनसा ध्यायन् विश्वं पश्यति दूरत: ॥ २० ॥

Transliteration

cakṣus tvaṣṭari saṁyojya tvaṣṭāram api cakṣuṣi māṁ tatra manasā dhyāyan viśvaṁ paśyati dūrataḥ

Translation

بإدماج البصر في الشمس ثم إدماج الشمس في العينين، والتأمل فيّ بعقله بوصفِي حاضرًا في اقتران الشمس والرؤية، ينال المرء قدرة رؤية كل ما هو بعيد.

Synonyms

• cakṣuḥ: the eye; sight
• cakṣuḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakṣus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; object of saṁyojya

• tvaṣṭari: in Tvaṣṭṛ
• tvaṣṭari: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvaṣṭṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana; adhikaraṇa (in Tvaṣṭṛ, the deity/artisan)

• saṁyojya: having connected
• saṁyojya: Kriyā (क्रिया) (pūrvakāla)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam√yuj (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), ‘having joined/connected’

• tvaṣṭāram: Tvaṣṭṛ (as object)
• tvaṣṭāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvaṣṭṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; object of (implicit) saṁyojya in second half

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (समुच्चय/अपि = also/even)

• cakṣuṣi: in the eye
• cakṣuṣi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakṣus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Saptamī, Ekavacana; adhikaraṇa

• mām: Me
• mām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; object of dhyāyan

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa-nirdeśa (अधिकरण-निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (there)

• manasā: with the mind
• manasā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana; instrument

• dhyāyan: meditating
• dhyāyan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhyai (धातु)
• Form: Vartamāna-kṛdanta (शतृ), Parasmaipada; Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• viśvam: the universe; everything
• viśvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; object of paśyati

• paśyati: sees
• paśyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (present), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• dūrataḥ: from afar; at a distance
• dūrataḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dūratas (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (ablatival in form)

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Uddhava
• Tvaṣṭā

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about seeing distant things through yoga (dūra-darśana siddhi)?

In Canto 11, Chapter 15, Kṛṣṇa describes a meditation method in which the yogī fixes sight on Tvaṣṭā and meditates on the Lord within that focus, by which one can perceive the universe even from far away.

Why did Krishna speak about mystic powers to Uddhava in the Uddhava Gita?

Kṛṣṇa instructs Uddhava on yoga and its potential siddhis while emphasizing the Lord as the ultimate object of meditation—so Uddhava understands both the capabilities and the higher devotional purpose beyond fascination with powers.

How can this teaching be applied in modern spiritual life without chasing siddhis?

Use it as a reminder to keep meditation God-centered: focus the mind on Kṛṣṇa with devotion and steadiness, valuing inner purification and surrender over extraordinary abilities.