Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 43
Vibhūti-yoga in the Bhāgavata: The Lord’s Manifest Opulences and the Discipline of Control
यो वै वाङ्मनसी सम्यगसंयच्छन् धिया यति: । तस्य व्रतं तपो दानं स्रवत्यामघटाम्बुवत् ॥ ४३ ॥
yo vai vāṅ-manasī saṁyag asaṁyacchan dhiyā yatiḥ tasya vrataṁ tapo dānaṁ sravaty āma-ghaṭāmbu-vat
Ein Asket, der seine Worte und seinen Geist nicht vollständig durch höhere Einsicht zügelt, wird erleben, dass Gelübde, Askese und Almosen wie Wasser aus einem ungebrannten Tongefäß verrinnen.
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.
FAQs
This verse teaches that without proper restraint of speech and mind through clear intelligence, even sincere vows, austerities, and acts of charity lose their spiritual potency—like water leaking from a porous, unbaked pot.
In the Uddhava Gītā, Kṛṣṇa is instructing Uddhava on lasting spiritual practice. He emphasizes inner discipline (control of mind and speech) as the foundation that protects all external religious acts from becoming ineffective.
Practice mindful speech (truthful, beneficial, non-hurtful) and daily mental regulation (japa, meditation, self-reflection). This preserves the value of your spiritual routines and charitable actions by aligning them with steady inner restraint.