Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 23

Sādhu-saṅga, the Gopīs’ Prema, and the Veda’s Culmination in Exclusive Surrender

Devanagari script

द्वे अस्य बीजे शतमूलस्त्रिनाल: पञ्चस्कन्ध: पञ्चरसप्रसूति: । दशैकशाखो द्विसुपर्णनीड- स्त्रिवल्कलो द्विफलोऽर्कं प्रविष्ट: ॥ २२ ॥ अदन्ति चैकं फलमस्य गृध्रा ग्रामेचरा एकमरण्यवासा: । हंसा य एकं बहुरूपमिज्यै- र्मायामयं वेद स वेद वेदम् ॥ २३ ॥

Transliteration

dve asya bīje śata-mūlas tri-nālaḥ pañca-skandhaḥ pañca-rasa-prasūtiḥ daśaika-śākho dvi-suparṇa-nīḍas tri-valkalo dvi-phalo ’rkaṁ praviṣṭaḥ

Translation

ຜົນຢ່າງໜຶ່ງຂອງຕົ້ນໄມ້ນີ້ຖືກເສບໂດຍຜູ້ຢູ່ໃນບ້ານເມືອງ ຜູ້ໂລບໃນກາມ ແລະຜູ້ຜູກພັນກັບຄອບຄົວ; ອີກຜົນໜຶ່ງຖືກເສບໂດຍນັກບວດດຸດຫົງ ຜູ້ພຳນັກໃນປ່າ. ຜູ້ໃດໄດ້ອາໄສຄູອາຈານທາງວິນຍານທີ່ແທ້ ເຂົ້າໃຈວ່າຕົ້ນໄມ້ນີ້ແມ່ນການປະກົດຂອງພະລັງມາຍາຂອງສັດຈະສູງສຸດອັນດຽວ ທີ່ປາກົດໄດ້ຫຼາຍຮູບ ຜູ້ນັ້ນຈຶ່ງຮູ້ນັຍແຫ່ງເວດາຢ່າງແທ້ຈິງ.

Synonyms

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying बीजे)

• अस्य: of this / its
• अस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• बीजे: seeds
• बीजे: Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन

• शतमूलः: hundred-rooted
• शतमूलः: Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical: “having a hundred roots”); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of implied वृक्षः)

• त्रिनालः: three-stemmed
• त्रिनालः: Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + नाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पञ्चस्कन्धः: five-trunked
• पञ्चस्कन्धः: Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + स्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पञ्चरसप्रसूतिḥ: producing five kinds of sap/juice
• पञ्चरसप्रसूतिḥ: Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + रस (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: “production of five रस-s”); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of implied वृक्षः)

• दशैकशाखः: eleven-branched
• दशैकशाखः: Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + शाखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical: “having eleven branches”); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• द्विसुपर्णनीडः: having a nest of two birds
• द्विसुपर्णनीडः: Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + सुपर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + नीड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: “nest of two birds”); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्रिवल्कलः: three-barked
• त्रिवल्कलः: Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वल्कल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• द्विफलः: two-fruited
• द्विफलः: Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अर्कम्: the sun
• अर्कम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रविष्टः: entered / pervaded
• प्रविष्टः: Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृत् (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of implied वृक्षः)

Purport

The two seeds of this tree are sinful and pious activities, and the hundreds of roots are the living entities’ innumerable material desires, which chain them to material existence. The three lower trunks represent the three modes of material nature, and the five upper trunks represent the five gross material elements. The tree produces five flavors — sound, form, touch, taste and aroma — and has eleven branches — the five working senses, the five knowledge-acquiring senses and the mind. Two birds, namely the individual soul and the Supersoul, have made their nest in this tree, and the three types of bark are air, bile and mucus, the constituent elements of the body. The two fruits of this tree are happiness and distress.

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Uddhava

FAQs

What is the “tree of material existence” in Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 11?

In this verse, Śrī Kṛṣṇa describes saṁsāra as a tree with many parts—roots, branches, bark, and fruits—indicating how the living being becomes entangled in material nature through complex layers of desire and action.

Why does Krishna speak this allegory to Uddhava in the Uddhava Gita?

Krishna instructs Uddhava in renunciation and clear vision: by recognizing the structure of bondage (the “tree”), one can cultivate detachment and seek the soul’s shelter in devotion and knowledge.

How can this teaching be applied in modern life?

See recurring anxieties and cravings as “branches” of the same tree, reduce unnecessary sense-driven habits, and regularly practice bhakti (hearing, chanting, remembrance) to avoid feeding the roots of entanglement.