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Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 11

Yoga-siddhi — The Mystic Perfections and Their Origin in Meditation on the Lord

महत्तत्त्वात्मनि मयि यथासंस्थं मनो दधत् । महिमानमवाप्नोति भूतानां च पृथक् पृथक् ॥ ११ ॥

mahat-tattvātmani mayi yathā-saṁsthaṁ mano dadhat mahimānam avāpnoti bhūtānāṁ ca pṛthak pṛthak

Celui qui absorbe son mental en Moi, le Paramātmā établi comme mahat-tattva, obtient la perfection mystique appelée mahimā. Puis, en fixant encore l’esprit en Moi au sein de chaque élément—éther, air, feu, etc.—il acquiert progressivement la grandeur propre à chacun.

mahat-tattva-ātmaniin the essence of the Mahat principle
mahat-tattva-ātmani:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootmahat (प्रातिपदिक) + tattva (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: mahataḥ tattvasya ātmā (‘the self/essence of the Mahat-tattva’)
mayiin me
mayi:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormLocative Singular
yathā-saṁsthamas (properly) situated
yathā-saṁstham:
Prakāra (प्रकार)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय) + saṁstha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormAvyayībhāva used adverbially; neuter accusative singular form functioning as adverb ‘as situated/according to its position’
manaḥthe mind
manaḥ:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootmanas (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative Singular; object of dadhat (holding the mind)
dadhatholding (placing)
dadhat:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Root√dhā (धातु) + dadhat (कृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्यय, present active participle)
FormPresent active participle (कर्तरि शतृ), Masculine Nominative Singular; agrees with implied yogī/meditator; ‘holding/placing’
mahimānammahimā (greatness)
mahimānam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootmahimān (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative Singular
avāpnotiattains
avāpnoti:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootava-√āp (धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), 3rd Person, Singular; parasmaipada
bhūtānāmof beings
bhūtānām:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootbhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Genitive Plural
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormConjunction
pṛthakseparately
pṛthak:
Prakāra (प्रकार)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootpṛthak (अव्यय)
FormAdverb (अव्यय), repeated for distributive emphasis
pṛthakeach separately
pṛthak:
Prakāra (प्रकार)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootpṛthak (अव्यय)
FormAdverb (अव्यय), repetition

There are innumerable verses in Vedic literatures explaining that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is qualitatively not different from His creation and thus a yogī may meditate upon the total material existence as a manifestation of the external potency of the Lord. Once the yogī has established his realization that the material creation is not different from the Lord, he obtains the perfection called mahimā-siddhi. By realizing the Lord’s presence in each individual element the yogī also acquires the greatness of each element. However, the pure devotees are not very interested in such perfections because they are surrendered to the Personality of Godhead, who exhibits such perfections to the infinite degree. Being always protected by the Lord, the pure devotees save their precious time to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Thus they achieve for themselves and others saṁsiddhi, or the supreme perfection, pure love of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by which one expands one’s existence beyond the total material creation to the spiritual planets called Vaikuṇṭha.

K
Kṛṣṇa
U
Uddhava

FAQs

This verse says that by steadily fixing the mind on the Supreme Lord—who is the Self underlying the mahat-tattva—one attains greatness (mahima) and gains extraordinary mastery and distinct perception of beings.

In the Uddhava-gītā section, Krishna instructs Uddhava on yoga and divine opulences, explaining how concentration on the Lord can produce yogic perfections—while guiding the devotee toward higher devotion beyond fascination with powers.

Train attention through daily japa, śravaṇa (hearing), and mindful remembrance of Krishna; steady God-centered focus purifies perception, reduces distraction, and brings clarity in relating to different people and situations.