Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

तं त्वामहं ज्ञानघनं स्वभाव- प्रध्वस्तमायागुणभेदमोहै: । सनन्दनाद्यैर्मुनिभिर्विभाव्यं कथं विमूढ: परिभावयामि ॥ २३ ॥

Transliteration

taṁ tvāṁ ahaṁ jñāna-ghanaṁ svabhāva- pradhvasta-māyā-guṇa-bheda-mohaiḥ sanandanādyair munibhir vibhāvyaṁ kathaṁ vimūḍhaḥ paribhāvayāmi

Translation

O my Lord, You are concentrated, solid knowledge itself; by Your own nature, māyā and the delusion born of the guṇas’ differences are destroyed. Liberated sages such as Sanandana and the other Kumāras can contemplate You—how then can an ignorant soul like me meditate upon You?

Synonyms

• tam: that (one)
• tam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• jñāna-ghanam: a mass/solid of knowledge (pure consciousness)
• jñāna-ghanam: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + ghana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: ज्ञानरूपः घनः; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; त्वाम् इति विशेषणम्

• svabhāva-pradhvasta-māyā-guṇa-bheda-mohaiḥ: by/through the delusions of māyā’s guṇas and distinctions destroyed by (your) nature
• svabhāva-pradhvasta-māyā-guṇa-bheda-mohaiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument or Hetu/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svabhāva (प्रातिपदिक) + pradhvasta (कृदन्त) + māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + bheda (प्रातिपदिक) + moha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: स्वभावेन प्रध्वस्ताः (नष्टाः) माया-गुण-भेद-मोहाः येन/यैः; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; हेतौ/करणे प्रयोगः

• sanandana-ādyaiḥ: by Sanandana and others
• sanandana-ādyaiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument; with munibhiḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sanandana (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: सनन्दनः आदिः येषाम्; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• munibhiḥ: by sages
• munibhiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• vibhāvyam: to be contemplated/realized
• vibhāvyam: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√bhū/√bhāv (भाव् धातु) + vibhāvya (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/future passive participle: ‘to be contemplated/realized’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; त्वाम् इति विशेषणम्

• katham: how
• katham: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/discourse)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: how)

• vimūḍhaḥ: deluded
• vimūḍhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√muh (मुह् धातु) + vimūḍha (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अहम् इति विशेषणम्

• paribhāvayāmi: can contemplate/understand
• paribhāvayāmi: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√bhū/√bhāv (भाव् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तम-पुरुष (1st), एकवचन

Purport

The word svabhāva refers to one’s own spiritual nature or original constitutional position. When situated in this original position, the living entity is unaffected by the modes of material nature. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate ( Bg. 14.26 ). As soon as one is freed from the influence of the three modes of material nature, he is situated on the Brahman platform. Vivid examples of personalities thus situated are the four Kumāras and Nārada. Such authorities can by nature understand the position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but a conditioned soul not freed from the influence of material nature is unable to realize the Supreme. In Bhagavad-gītā (2.45) , therefore, Kṛṣṇa advises Arjuna, traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna: one must rise above the influence of the three modes of material nature. One who stays within the influence of the three material modes is unable to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Characters & Entities

• Sanandana
• Kumara sages (Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, Sanat-kumara)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about understanding God beyond māyā and the guṇas?

This verse says the Lord’s nature is inherently beyond māyā and the guṇas, and even great sages contemplate Him—so a conditioned soul cannot grasp Him by pride or mere intellect.

Why does Satyavrata (Triśaṅku) speak of the Kumāras like Sanandana here?

He cites the Kumāras as exemplars of realized sages to express humility: if such elevated munis meditate on the Lord, then his own capacity to comprehend the Lord is far smaller.

How can I apply this teaching in modern spiritual practice?

Cultivate humility and steady sādhana—hearing, chanting, and contemplation—accepting that God is ultimately realized by devotion and grace, not by ego-driven speculation.