Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 31

Nondual Vision Beyond Praise and Blame

Dvandva-nivṛtti and Ātma-viveka

Devanagari script

तिष्ठन्तमासीनमुत व्रजन्तं शयानमुक्षन्तमदन्तमन्नम् । स्वभावमन्यत् किमपीहमान- मात्मानमात्मस्थमतिर्न वेद ॥ ३१ ॥

Transliteration

tiṣṭhantam āsīnam uta vrajantaṁ śayānam ukṣantam adantam annam svabhāvam anyat kim apīhamānam ātmānam ātma-stha-matir na veda

Translation

Le sage, dont la conscience demeure établie dans le Soi, ne remarque même pas les activités de son propre corps. Qu’il soit debout, assis, marchant, couché, urinant, mangeant ou accomplissant d’autres fonctions, il comprend que le corps agit selon sa nature propre.

Synonyms

• tiṣṭhantam: standing
• tiṣṭhantam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tiṣṭhat (कृदन्त/√sthā 'स्था' धातु, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त

• āsīnam: sitting
• āsīnam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āsīna (कृदन्त/ppp of √ās 'आस्' धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (state: seated)

• uta: or/and
• uta: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: uta (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प/समुच्चयार्थ (or/and also)

• vrajantam: walking/going
• vrajantam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vrajat (कृदन्त/√vraj 'व्रज्' धातु, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त

• śayānam: lying down
• śayānam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śayāna (कृदन्त/√śī 'शी' धातु, शानच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले आत्मनेपदी कृदन्त (lying)

• ukṣantam: urinating
• ukṣantam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ukṣat (कृदन्त/√ukṣ 'उक्ष्' धातु, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त

• adantam: eating
• adantam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adant (कृदन्त/√ad 'अद्' धातु, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त

• annam: food
• annam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• svabhāvam: one’s own nature
• svabhāvam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• anyat: other, different
• anyat: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• api: even, any
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि—अल्पार्थ/सम्भावना (some/any)

• īhamānam: striving, acting
• īhamānam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īhamāna (कृदन्त/√īh 'ईह्' धातु, शानच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले आत्मनेपदी कृदन्त (endeavoring)

• ātmānam: the Self
• ātmānam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ātma-stha-matiḥ: the mind fixed in the Self
• ātma-stha-matiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (कृदन्त/ppp of √sthā 'स्था' धातु) + mati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; 'आत्मनि स्थिता मतिः'

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• veda: knows
• veda: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Uddhava

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about non-doership (akartṛtva)?

This verse explains that when intelligence is fixed in the Self, one no longer identifies the soul as the doer of bodily actions like standing, eating, or resting; actions belong to nature, while the Self remains distinct.

Why did Krishna teach this to Uddhava in Canto 11?

In the Uddhava-gītā, Kṛṣṇa prepares Uddhava for spiritual steadiness by teaching Self-realization—how to live amid actions without false identification, leading to freedom from bondage.

How can I apply this teaching in modern life while working and caring for family?

Perform duties responsibly, but practice remembering, “I am the witness-self; the body-mind acts by nature.” This reduces anxiety and ego, supporting steady devotion and inner peace.