Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

इन्द्रियैरिन्द्रियार्थेषु गुणैरपि गुणेषु च । गृह्यमाणेष्वहं कुर्यान्न विद्वान् यस्त्वविक्रिय: ॥ ९ ॥

Transliteration

indriyair indriyārtheṣu guṇair api guṇeṣu ca gṛhyamāṇeṣv ahaṁ kuryān na vidvān yas tv avikriyaḥ

Translation

భౌతిక కోరికల కలుషం లేని, వికారరహితుడైన జ్ఞాని దేహక్రియల కర్తను తానేనని భావించడు. అతడు తెలుసుకొనును—అన్ని క్రియలలో ప్రకృతి గుణాల నుండి పుట్టిన ఇంద్రియాలే, అదే గుణజాతమైన విషయాలను స్పర్శిస్తున్నాయని.

Synonyms

• indriyaiḥ: by the senses
• indriyaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• indriya-artheṣu: in sense-objects
• indriya-artheṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indriya (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural (बहुवचन); इन्द्रियाणाम् अर्थेषु (in the objects of the senses)

• guṇaiḥ: by the qualities (guṇas)
• guṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात); also/even

• guṇeṣu: in the qualities
• guṇeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय-अव्यय)

• gṛhyamāṇeṣu: when being engaged/appropriated
• gṛhyamāṇeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: grah (ग्रह् धातु) + yamāna (यमान; शानच्; कृदन्त)
• Form: Present passive participle (शानच्; कर्मणि), Neuter/Masculine Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural (बहुवचन); ‘while being grasped/engaged’

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: First person pronoun, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• kuryām: would do
• kuryām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• vidvān: the wise one
• vidvān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vid (विद् धातु) + vat (वत्; कृदन्त)
• Form: Present active participle (वत्), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात); contrast

• avikriyaḥ: unchanging
• avikriyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + vikriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); negative (unchanging)

Purport

Lord Kṛṣṇa makes a similar statement in Bhagavad-gītā (3.28) :

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Uddhava

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about being the doer (kartā-bhāva)?

This verse teaches that actions occur through the senses and the modes of nature, and the truly wise person does not identify as the doer—remaining steady as the unchanging self.

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

Kṛṣṇa is instructing Uddhava in self-realization and liberation: to see material activity as interactions of guṇas and senses, and to give up egoistic identification that binds one to karma.

Practical application of non-doership in modern life according to Bhagavatam?

Do your duties responsibly, but mentally offer results to the Lord and drop the ego-thought “I alone am the controller,” recognizing that body, mind, and circumstances move under nature’s modes.