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Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 24

Avadhūta’s Further Teachers: Detachment, Solitude, One-Pointed Meditation, and the Lord as Āśraya

एवं गुरुभ्य एतेभ्य एषा मे शिक्षिता मति: । स्वात्मोपशिक्षितां बुद्धिं श‍ृणु मे वदत: प्रभो ॥ २४ ॥

evaṁ gurubhya etebhya eṣā me śikṣitā matiḥ svātmopaśikṣitāṁ buddhiṁ śṛṇu me vadataḥ prabho

Ô Roi, de tous ces maîtres spirituels j’ai acquis une grande sagesse. Maintenant, écoute, je vais exposer l’intelligence que j’ai apprise de mon propre corps, qui m’a instruit de l’intérieur.

एवम्thus
एवम्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम् (अव्यय)
Formप्रकारवाचक अव्यय (thus)
गुरुभ्यःfrom the teachers
गुरुभ्यः:
Apadana (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootगुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी/चतुर्थी (5th Ablative / 4th Dative), बहुवचन; अत्र पञ्चमी (from the teachers)
एतेभ्यःfrom these
एतेभ्यः:
Apadana (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन; अत्र पञ्चमी (from these)
एषाthis
एषा:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
मेmy
मे:
Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (my)
शिक्षिताtaught
शिक्षिता:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootशिक्ष् (धातु)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; मति-विशेषणम् (taught)
मतिःunderstanding/intelligence
मतिः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
स्व-आत्म-उपशिक्षिताम्instructed by one’s own self
स्व-आत्म-उपशिक्षिताम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + उपशिक्षित (शिक्ष् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्वात्मना उपशिक्षिता) = instructed by one’s own self; बुद्धि-विशेषणम्
बुद्धिम्understanding
बुद्धिम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootबुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
शृणुhear
शृणु:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु (धातु)
Formलोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
मेof me
मे:
Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (of me/my)
वदतःof (me) speaking
वदतः:
Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeVerb
Rootवद् (धातु)
Formवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle) ‘वदत्’; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; (of me who am speaking)
प्रभोO lord
प्रभो:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन
Y
Yadu
A
Avadhūta (Dattātreya)

FAQs

This verse states that the Avadhūta learned insight from many external teachers, and then asks the Lord (Yadu) to hear the self-cultivated intelligence—indicating both receptive learning and inner realization.

After listing his various ‘gurus’ (teachers drawn from life and nature), the Avadhūta transitions to present his distilled, personally realized conclusions to Yadu, who had asked about the source of his wisdom and detachment.

Learn humbly from qualified teachers and everyday experiences, then internalize the lessons through reflection, practice, and self-discipline so that wisdom becomes lived realization rather than mere information.