Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 17

Rantideva’s Supreme Charity and the Hastī Lineage

Hastināpura and Pañcāla Origins

Devanagari script

ईश्वरालम्बनं चित्तं कुर्वतोऽनन्यराधस: । माया गुणमयी राजन्स्वप्नवत् प्रत्यलीयत ॥ १७ ॥

Transliteration

īśvarālambanaṁ cittaṁ kurvato ’nanya-rādhasaḥ māyā guṇamayī rājan svapnavat pratyalīyata

Translation

يا مهاراجا باريكشِت، إنّ من يعلّق قلبه بالرب وحده بعبادةٍ لا شريك فيها، فإنّ المايا المؤلَّفة من الغونات تذوب لديه كالحلم وتختفي.

Synonyms

• īśvara-ālambanam: support/prop of the Lord
• īśvara-ālambanam: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + ālambana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (īśvarasya ālambanam)

• cittam: mind
• cittam: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kurvataḥ: of (him) who was making
• kurvataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘of (him) doing/making’

• ananya-rādhasaḥ: of one with undivided devotion/merit
• ananya-rādhasaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ananya (प्रातिपदिक) + rādhas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (anya-rahita) + षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः; विशेषणम् (kurvataḥ)

• māyā: illusion (māyā)
• māyā: Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• guṇamayī: made of the guṇas
• guṇamayī: Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (guṇaiḥ mayī = consisting of guṇas); विशेषणम् (māyā)

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• svapnavat: like a dream
• svapnavat: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svapna (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (वत्)
• Form: उपमान-अव्यय (adverbial: ‘like a dream’)

• pratyalīyata: vanished/dissolved
• pratyalīyata: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-ā-√lī (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; (अर्थे: ‘dissolved/vanished’)

Purport

As it is said:

Characters & Entities

• Parīkṣit Mahārāja
• Īśvara (the Supreme Lord)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about overcoming māyā?

This verse says māyā, formed of the three guṇas, fades like a dream when the mind takes exclusive shelter of the Supreme Lord.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī address the listener as 'O King' here?

Śukadeva is instructing King Parīkṣit, emphasizing that for a ruler—and for anyone—single-minded devotion to Īśvara is the direct way to transcend illusion.

How can I apply 'īśvarālambanaṁ cittaṁ' in modern life?

Regularly anchor the mind in God through nāma-japa, hearing Bhāgavatam, and offering daily work to the Lord; as devotion becomes exclusive, anxieties and worldly fascination lose their grip.