Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 10
Nondual Vision Beyond Praise and Blame
Dvandva-nivṛtti and Ātma-viveka
श्रीउद्धव उवाच नैवात्मनो न देहस्य संसृतिर्द्रष्टृदृश्ययो: । अनात्मस्वदृशोरीश कस्य स्यादुपलभ्यते ॥ १० ॥
śrī-uddhava uvāca naivātmano na dehasya saṁsṛtir draṣṭṛ-dṛśyayoḥ anātma-sva-dṛśor īśa kasya syād upalabhyate
シュリー・ウッダヴァは言った。「我が主よ、この物質的な輪廻は、見る者である魂の経験でも、見られる対象である身体の経験でもありえません。魂は本性として知に満ち、身体は無知覚です。では、この輪廻の経験はいったい誰に属するのですか。」
Since the living entity is pure spirit soul, innately full of perfect knowledge and bliss, and since the material body is a biochemical machine without knowledge or personal consciousness, who or what is actually experiencing the ignorance and anxiety of this material existence? The conscious experience of material life cannot be denied, and thus Uddhava asks Lord Kṛṣṇa this question to elicit a more precise understanding of the process by which illusion occurs.
FAQs
This verse frames Uddhava’s insight that transmigration does not truly belong to the ātmā (self) or even ultimately to the body; bondage is rooted in misidentification—taking the non-self to be the self.
In the Uddhava-gītā teachings, Uddhava seeks clarity on how bondage can be ‘experienced’ if the self is distinct from the body and objects; he therefore asks the Lord to explain where samsara actually rests—pointing to ignorance and false identification.
Practice separating the witness (conscious awareness) from changing experiences—body, roles, emotions, and possessions—so you stop equating temporary states with your true self, weakening fear and attachment.