Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 10

Bondage and Liberation Under Māyā; Two Birds Analogy; Marks of the Saintly Devotee

Devanagari script

दैवाधीने शरीरेऽस्मिन् गुणभाव्येन कर्मणा । वर्तमानोऽबुधस्तत्र कर्तास्मीति निबध्यते ॥ १० ॥

Transliteration

daivādhīne śarīre ’smin guṇa-bhāvyena karmaṇā vartamāno ’budhas tatra kartāsmīti nibadhyate

Translation

ຄົນບໍ່ຮູ້ທີ່ຢູ່ໃນກາຍອັນເກີດຈາກຜົນກຳເກົ່າ ແລະຢູ່ໃຕ້ອຳນາດແຫ່ງເທວະ ຄິດວ່າ “ຂ້ອຍແມ່ນຜູ້ກະທຳ”; ໂດຍອະຫັງການຫຼອກລວງ ຈຶ່ງຖືກຜູກມັດດ້ວຍກຳທີ່ຖືກຂັບເຄື່ອນໂດຍຄຸນຂອງປະກຣິຕິ.

Synonyms

• daiva-adhīne: dependent on destiny/divine
• daiva-adhīne: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daiva (प्रातिपदिक) + adhīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); दैवे अधीनम् (dependent on fate/divine)

• śarīre: in the body
• śarīre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• asmin: in this
• asmin: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative used adjectivally

• guṇa-bhāvyena: conditioned by the guṇas
• guṇa-bhāvyena: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāvya (√bhū धातु, यत्/ण्यत्; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); गुणैः भाव्येन (brought about/conditioned by the guṇas)

• karmaṇā: by action/karma
• karmaṇā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• vartamānaḥ: existing/acting (in that state)
• vartamānaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛt (वृत् धातु) + māna (शानच्; कृदन्त)
• Form: Present middle participle (शानच्; आत्मनेपद-भाव), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• abudhaḥ: the ignorant person
• abudhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- (नञ्) + budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); negative (ignorant)

• tatra: there/in that situation
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (देशवाचक-अव्यय)

• kartā: doer
• kartā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kartṛ (कृ धातु, तृच्; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); agent noun (कर्तृ)

• asmi: am
• asmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-निपात)

• nibadhyate: is bound
• nibadhyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√bandh (बन्ध् धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); passive/reflexive sense ‘gets bound’

Purport

As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (3.27) :

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Uddhava

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the idea 'I am the doer'?

This verse says the body acts under destiny and the modes of nature, but the foolish person becomes bound by identifying as the independent doer.

Why did Krishna say this to Uddhava in the Uddhava Gita?

Krishna is teaching Uddhava how bondage arises from false ego and how liberation begins by understanding the Lord’s control and the workings of karma and the gunas.

Practical application of giving up doership in modern life?

Do your duties responsibly, but mentally offer results to God, recognize nature’s forces and past karma, and reduce ego-driven anxiety by dropping the claim of absolute control.