Shloka 22

Mahārāja Sagara, Kapila Muni, and the Deliverance of the Sixty Thousand Sons

Devanagari script

ये देहभाजस्त्रिगुणप्रधाना गुणान् विपश्यन्त्युत वा तमश्च । यन्मायया मोहितचेतसस्त्वां विदु: स्वसंस्थं न बहि:प्रकाशा: ॥ २२ ॥

Transliteration

ye deha-bhājas tri-guṇa-pradhānā guṇān vipaśyanty uta vā tamaś ca yan-māyayā mohita-cetasas tvāṁ viduḥ sva-saṁsthaṁ na bahiḥ-prakāśāḥ

Translation

My Lord, embodied beings, ruled by the three guṇas, perceive only the actions and reactions of those modes, and they sink into the darkness of tamas. Bewildered by the Lord’s external māyā, they do not know You who dwell within their own hearts; their intelligence, covered by sattva, rajas, and tamas, sees only outward manifestations.

Synonyms

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• deha-bhājaḥ: embodied beings
• deha-bhājaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: देहस्य भाजः (देहभागिनः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• tri-guṇa-pradhānāḥ: dominated by the three guṇas
• tri-guṇa-pradhānāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + pradhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: त्रयः गुणाः प्रधानाः येषाम्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ये इति विशेषणम्

• guṇān: the qualities (guṇas)
• guṇān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• vipaśyanti: perceive/see distinctly
• vipaśyanti: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√paś (पश् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• uta: or/and
• uta: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: uta (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प/समुच्चय-अव्यय (particle: or/and also)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• tamaḥ: darkness/ignorance
• tamaḥ: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• yat: by which
• yat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया/सप्तमी-एकवचनार्थे सम्बन्धसूचक; अत्र ‘यत्’ = ‘यया’ इत्यर्थे (relative)

• māyayā: by (your) māyā
• māyayā: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mohita-cetasaḥ: whose minds are deluded
• mohita-cetasaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mohita (कृदन्त) + cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: मोहितं चेतः येषाम्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ये इति विशेषणम्

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• viduḥ: know
• viduḥ: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• sva-saṁstham: situated within oneself
• sva-saṁstham: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + saṁstha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: स्वे संस्थः (स्वसंस्थः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; त्वाम् इति विशेषणम्

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• bahiḥ-prakāśāḥ: not outwardly illumined (unable to perceive externally)
• bahiḥ-prakāśāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahiḥ (अव्यय) + prakāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: बहिः प्रकाशः येषाम् (or बहिः प्रकाशो यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ये इति विशेषणम्

Purport

Unless one is situated in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, one is unable to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord is situated in everyone’s heart. However, because the conditioned souls are influenced by material nature, they can see only the actions and reactions of material nature, but not the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One therefore must purify himself internally and externally:

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about māyā covering the soul’s understanding of God?

This verse says that by the Lord’s māyā, embodied beings become deluded and perceive mainly the material modes—especially ignorance—so they fail to recognize the Lord’s full transcendence.

Who is speaking this verse in Bhagavatam Canto 9 Chapter 8?

Shukadeva Gosvami is speaking, continuing his narration of the Bhagavatam’s teachings to King Parikshit.

Practical application: how can I move beyond tamas and see the Lord clearly?

The verse implies that one must rise above material conditioning (the guṇas) through spiritual discipline—especially devotion and purified consciousness—so the Lord is known not only as an inner witness but as the Supreme beyond matter.