Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 40
Sāṅkhya Enumeration of Tattvas, Distinction of Puruṣa–Prakṛti, and the Mechanics of Birth and Death
जन्म त्वात्मतया पुंस: सर्वभावेन भूरिद । विषयस्वीकृतिं प्राहुर्यथा स्वप्नमनोरथ: ॥ ४० ॥
janma tv ātmatayā puṁsaḥ sarva-bhāvena bhūri-da viṣaya-svīkṛtiṁ prāhur yathā svapna-manorathaḥ
O überaus freigebiger Uddhava: Was man Geburt nennt, ist nur die völlige Identifikation des Wesens mit einem neuen Körper. Man nimmt diesen Körper an, wie man die Erfahrung eines Traums oder einer Fantasie ganz als Wirklichkeit hinnimmt.
Identification with one’s material body surpasses the mere affection and attachment one feels for the bodies of relatives or friends. The word sarva-bhāvena here shows that one totally accepts the material body to be oneself, just as one completely accepts the experience of a dream as real. Mere imagination without practical action is called a daydream; the mental concoction that occurs in a sleeping state is called a dream. Our identification with our own body and our blind acceptance of bodily relationships as permanent constitute a prolonged form of dreaming or fantasy in which one imagines oneself to be separate from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The term birth, therefore, does not refer to the generation of a new entity but to the blind acceptance by the spirit soul of a new material body.
FAQs
This verse explains that when the soul identifies the body-mind as the self, one naturally accepts sense objects as real and necessary—like taking dream experiences to be true.
In the Uddhava Gita, Krishna prepares Uddhava for life in separation by teaching the roots of bondage—misidentification and attachment—so Uddhava can remain fixed in devotion and knowledge.
Treat intense cravings, fears, and social pressures as temporary mental scenes; pause, witness them, and re-anchor in the soul’s identity as Krishna’s servant—reducing impulsive sense-driven decisions.