Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 33
Chapter 19
अहिंसा सत्यं अस्तेयम् असङ्गो ह्रीर् असञ्चयः ।
आस्तिक्यं ब्रह्मचर्यं च मौनं स्थैर्यं क्षमाभयम् ॥
ahiṃsā satyam asteyam asaṅgo hrīr asañcayaḥ / āstikyaṃ brahmacaryaṃ ca maunaṃ sthairyaṃ kṣamābhayam //
அஹிம்சை, சத்தியம், திருடாமை, பற்றின்மை, நாணம், சேர்த்துவைக்காமை; வேத நம்பிக்கை, பிரம்மச்சரியம், கட்டுப்பட்ட மௌனம், நிலைத்தன்மை, பொறுமை, அச்சமின்மை—இவை உயர்வான நற்குணங்கள்; வளர்த்திட வேண்டியவை.
In this section of the Eleventh Canto, Śrī Kṛṣṇa instructs Uddhava on the practical culture of spiritual life. Here He lists foundational moral and inner disciplines that purify the heart and make it fit for bhakti and true knowledge. Ahiṃsā and satya protect one’s relationships and conscience; asteya and asañcaya reduce the restless hunger to possess; asaṅga and hrī establish inner dignity and freedom from degrading association. Āstikya safeguards one from skepticism that erodes sādhanā, while brahmacarya preserves vitality and clarity. Mauna is not mere muteness but measured speech and inward recollection, and sthairya is the capacity to remain fixed in vows despite changing circumstances. Kṣamā and abhayam arise when one’s identity shifts from the temporary body to the shelter of the Lord—then insults, loss, and fear no longer dominate the mind. Together these virtues form a supportive “ecosystem” for devotion: they minimize offenses, stabilize the mind, and allow remembrance of Kṛṣṇa to become natural and continuous.
FAQs
In 11.19.33, Śrī Kṛṣṇa includes ahiṃsā as a primary virtue—avoiding harm in thought, word, and deed—supporting purity and steady devotion.
Kṛṣṇa was preparing Uddhava with practical disciplines that stabilize the mind and purify the heart, making bhakti and spiritual knowledge firm.
Reduce unhealthy influences, simplify desires, avoid identity based on possessions, and keep daily remembrance of Kṛṣṇa as the center of decisions.