Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 20

Nondual Vision Beyond Praise and Blame

Dvandva-nivṛtti and Ātma-viveka

Devanagari script

विज्ञानमेतत्‍त्रियवस्थमङ्ग गुणत्रयं कारणकार्यकर्तृ । समन्वयेन व्यतिरेकतश्च येनैव तुर्येण तदेव सत्यम् ॥ २० ॥

Transliteration

vijñānam etat triy-avastham aṅga guṇa-trayaṁ kāraṇa-kārya-kartṛ samanvayena vyatirekataś ca yenaiva turyeṇa tad eva satyam

Translation

ดูก่อนผู้เป็นที่รัก วิทยานี้กล่าวว่า จิตวัตถุปรากฏเป็นสามภาวะแห่งสำนึก—ตื่น ฝัน และหลับลึก—อันเกิดจากคุณสามของธรรมชาติ และจิตเดียวกันยังปรากฏเป็นสามบทบาทคือ ผู้รับรู้ สิ่งถูกรับรู้ และผู้กำกับการรับรู้ จึงแสดงตนหลากหลายภายใต้ความเป็นสามประการเหล่านี้. แต่ปัจจัยที่สี่ซึ่งแยกต่างหากจากทั้งหมด (ตุรียะ) นั่นเท่านั้นคือสัจจะสูงสุด

Synonyms

• vijñānam: consciousness, knowledge
• vijñānam: Karta (कर्ता/विषय-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi-jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• etat: this
• etat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (this)

• triy-avastham: having three states
• triy-avastham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + avasthā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (त्रय्यः अवस्थाः यस्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• aṅga: O dear (one)
• aṅga: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aṅga (अव्यय/सम्बोधन)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपातः (vocative particle: “O dear/indeed”)

• guṇa-trayam: the three guṇas
• guṇa-trayam: Karma (कर्म/वर्ण्य-वस्तु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (गुणानां त्रयम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kāraṇa-kārya-kartṛ: (as) cause, effect, and agent
• kāraṇa-kārya-kartṛ: Karta (कर्ता/विधेय-समुच्चय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + kārya (प्रातिपदिक) + kartṛ (कृ धातु, तृ-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः (कāraṇaṃ ca kāryaṃ ca kartā ca), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (as a collective: “cause, effect, and agent”)

• samanvayena: by concomitance (anvaya)
• samanvayena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samanvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental sg: “by concomitance/coordination”)

• vyatirekataḥ: by contrast (vyatireka)
• vyatirekataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/हेतु-प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vyatireka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययम् (ablatival adverb: “by separation/contrast; in disjunction”)

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

• yena: by which
• yena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental sg: “by which”)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्ययम् (emphasis)

• turyeṇa: by the fourth (turiya)
• turyeṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: turya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental sg: “by the fourth [state]”)

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• eva: alone/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्ययम्

• satyam: truth, the real
• satyam: Pradhāna-kartṛ/Viśeṣya (विधेय/प्राधान्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (predicate nominative/accusative)

Purport

As stated in Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.2.15), tam eva bhāntam anubhāti sarvaṁ/ tasya bhāsā sarvam idaṁ vibhāti: “Everything radiates its illumination in pursuance of His original illumination; His light illuminates everything in this universe.” As thus described, the entire range of perception, cognition and sensitivity is an insignificant expansion of the perception, cognition and sensitivity of the Personality of Godhead.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Uddhava

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about turīya (the Fourth state)?

This verse says that beyond the three guṇas—seen as cause, effect, and doer—there is the turīya, the transcendental reality recognized through true realized knowledge; that turīya alone is the ultimate Truth.

Why did Krishna explain cause, effect, and doer to Uddhava?

In the Uddhava-gītā teachings, Kṛṣṇa guides Uddhava to discriminate the workings of the guṇas in all experience so that Uddhava can transcend them and become situated in the Fourth, the spiritual reality beyond material conditioning.

Practical application of going beyond the three guṇas in modern life?

Observe how moods and actions shift as “modes” (sattva/rajas/tamas) and avoid identifying as the doer; cultivate steady remembrance and discernment so awareness rests in the witness beyond changing causes and effects.