Previous Verse
Next Verse

Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 24

Nārada and Aṅgirā Instruct Citraketu: Impermanence, Ātma-Tattva, and Mantra-Upadeśa

द‍ृश्यमाना विनार्थेन न द‍ृश्यन्ते मनोभवा: । कर्मभिर्ध्यायतो नानाकर्माणि मनसोऽभवन् ॥ २४ ॥

dṛśyamānā vinārthena na dṛśyante manobhavāḥ karmabhir dhyāyato nānā- karmāṇi manaso ’bhavan

الزوجة والأولاد والمال وما يُرى من متاعٍ إنما هو كالحلم وصنعُ الذهن؛ إذ لا ثباتَ لوجوده. وبسبب أفعالٍ سابقة تنشأ في القلب تصوّرات شتّى، ومن تلك التصوّرات تنبعث أعمالٌ أخرى.

dṛśyamānāḥbeing seen/appearing
dṛśyamānāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootdṛś (धातु) + yamāna (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
Formवर्तमानकाले कर्मणि वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्/यमान), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; present passive participle, nominative plural masculine
vināwithout
vinā:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvinā (अव्यय)
Formउपसर्ग/निपात-प्राय अव्यय; preposition ‘without’ governing instrumental/accusative sense
arthenaby/with a purpose; meaning/object
arthena:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootartha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; instrumental singular masculine
nanot
na:
Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-निपात; negation particle
dṛśyanteare seen/appear
dṛśyante:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootdṛś (धातु)
Formलट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; present indicative, 3rd person plural, Ātmanepada; passive sense ‘are seen’
manobhavāḥmental creations; mind-born (thoughts/desires)
manobhavāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootmanas (प्रातिपदिक) + bhava (प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मनसः भवाः = born of mind); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; nominative plural masculine
karmabhiḥby actions/deeds
karmabhiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootkarman (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; instrumental plural neuter
dhyāyataḥof (one) meditating
dhyāyataḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootdhyai (धातु)
Formवर्तमानकाले परस्मैपदी वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; present active participle ‘of one who meditates’, genitive singular
nānāvarious
nānā:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootnānā (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्राय)
Formअव्यय-विशेषण; indeclinable adjective ‘various’ qualifying neuter plural
karmāṇiactions (arise/occur)
karmāṇi:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkarman (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; nominative/accusative plural neuter
manasaḥof the mind
manasaḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootmanas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; genitive singular neuter
abhavanbecame/arose
abhavan:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootbhū (धातु)
Formलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/imperf.), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; imperfect, 3rd person plural active

Everything material is a mental concoction because it is sometimes visible and sometimes not. At night when we dream of tigers and snakes, they are not actually present, but we are afraid because we are affected by what we envision in our dreams. Everything material is like a dream because it actually has no permanent existence.

FAQs

This verse explains that mental creations—desires and imagined needs—seem real, but they lack lasting substance; by repeatedly contemplating actions, the mind generates diverse karmic entanglements.

In the narrative flow of Canto 6, the teaching highlights how grief, desire, and fixation arise from the mind, and how such mental absorption drives further karma—pointing the listener toward detachment and higher spiritual absorption.

Notice how repeated rumination produces more plans, anxieties, and reactions; redirect the mind toward sādhana—hearing, chanting, and remembrance of Bhagavān—so actions become purified instead of binding.