Shloka 14

Bhakti Yoga: The Three Modes of Devotion, Non-Envy, and Time as the Lord

Devanagari script

स एव भक्तियोगाख्य आत्यन्तिक उदाहृत: । येनातिव्रज्य त्रिगुणं मद्भावायोपपद्यते ॥ १४ ॥

Transliteration

sa eva bhakti-yogākhya ātyantika udāhṛtaḥ yenātivrajya tri-guṇaṁ mad-bhāvāyopapadyate

Translation

This indeed is bhakti-yoga, declared to be the ultimate state: by it one surpasses the three guṇas and becomes situated in a transcendental condition akin to Mine.

Synonyms

• सः: that (he/it)
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis: “indeed/only”)

• भक्ति-योग-आख्यः: called bhakti-yoga
• भक्ति-योग-आख्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (भक्त्या योगः) + बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-प्राय ‘आख्य’ = “named/called”; समस्तपदं विशेषणं ‘सः’

• आत्यन्तिकः: ultimate, absolute
• आत्यन्तिकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्यन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘सः’

• उदाहृतः: is declared
• उदाहृतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-आ-हृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) ‘उदाहृत’ = “declared”; कर्मणि भावः

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative)

• अतिव्रज्य: having transcended
• अतिव्रज्य: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति-√व्रज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययभाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund) = “having gone beyond”; क्रियाविशेषण

• त्रि-गुणम्: the three guṇas
• त्रि-गुणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः गुणाः)

• मत्-भावाय: to my state/nature
• मत्-भावाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मत्-भावः = मम भावः/मद्भावः)

• उपपद्यते: one attains/comes to
• उपपद्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Purport

Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya, who is supposed to be the leader of the impersonalist school of philosophers, has admitted in the beginning of his comments on Bhagavad-gītā that Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond the material creation; except for Him, everything is within the material creation. It is also confirmed in the Vedic literature that before the creation there was only Nārāyaṇa; neither Lord Brahmā nor Lord Śiva existed. Only Nārāyaṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa, is always in the transcendental position, beyond the influence of material creation.

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• Devahuti

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about transcending the three gunas?

This verse states that bhakti-yoga is the ultimate means by which one fully surpasses sattva, rajas, and tamas and reaches the Lord’s own spiritual state (mad-bhāva).

Why did Lord Kapila say this to Devahuti in Canto 3 Chapter 29?

Kapila is defining the highest form of spiritual practice for Devahuti—showing that true bhakti is not merely moral goodness or ritual, but the direct path that carries one beyond material nature to the Lord.

How can bhakti-yoga be applied in modern life to rise above material modes?

By centering daily life on sincere devotion—hearing and chanting about the Lord, remembering Him, and offering one’s work and choices to Him—one gradually becomes free from the push and pull of the modes.