Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 31

Nondual Vision Beyond Praise and Blame

Dvandva-nivṛtti and Ātma-viveka

Devanagari script

तिष्ठन्तमासीनमुत व्रजन्तं शयानमुक्षन्तमदन्तमन्नम् । स्वभावमन्यत् किमपीहमान- मात्मानमात्मस्थमतिर्न वेद ॥ ३१ ॥

Transliteration

tiṣṭhantam āsīnam uta vrajantaṁ śayānam ukṣantam adantam annam svabhāvam anyat kim apīhamānam ātmānam ātma-stha-matir na veda

Translation

บัณฑิตผู้มีจิตตั้งมั่นอยู่ในอาตมันแทบไม่สังเกตกิจของกายตนเองเลย ไม่ว่าเขาจะยืน นั่ง เดิน นอน ปัสสาวะ กินอาหาร หรือทำหน้าที่ทางกายอื่นใด เขาย่อมรู้ว่ากายกำลังกระทำไปตามธรรมชาติของมันเอง

Synonyms

• tiṣṭhantam: standing
• tiṣṭhantam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tiṣṭhat (कृदन्त/√sthā 'स्था' धातु, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त

• āsīnam: sitting
• āsīnam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āsīna (कृदन्त/ppp of √ās 'आस्' धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (state: seated)

• uta: or/and
• uta: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: uta (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प/समुच्चयार्थ (or/and also)

• vrajantam: walking/going
• vrajantam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vrajat (कृदन्त/√vraj 'व्रज्' धातु, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त

• śayānam: lying down
• śayānam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śayāna (कृदन्त/√śī 'शी' धातु, शानच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले आत्मनेपदी कृदन्त (lying)

• ukṣantam: urinating
• ukṣantam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ukṣat (कृदन्त/√ukṣ 'उक्ष्' धातु, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त

• adantam: eating
• adantam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adant (कृदन्त/√ad 'अद्' धातु, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त

• annam: food
• annam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• svabhāvam: one’s own nature
• svabhāvam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• anyat: other, different
• anyat: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• api: even, any
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि—अल्पार्थ/सम्भावना (some/any)

• īhamānam: striving, acting
• īhamānam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īhamāna (कृदन्त/√īh 'ईह्' धातु, शानच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले आत्मनेपदी कृदन्त (endeavoring)

• ātmānam: the Self
• ātmānam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ātma-stha-matiḥ: the mind fixed in the Self
• ātma-stha-matiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (कृदन्त/ppp of √sthā 'स्था' धातु) + mati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; 'आत्मनि स्थिता मतिः'

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• veda: knows
• veda: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Uddhava

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about non-doership (akartṛtva)?

This verse explains that when intelligence is fixed in the Self, one no longer identifies the soul as the doer of bodily actions like standing, eating, or resting; actions belong to nature, while the Self remains distinct.

Why did Krishna teach this to Uddhava in Canto 11?

In the Uddhava-gītā, Kṛṣṇa prepares Uddhava for spiritual steadiness by teaching Self-realization—how to live amid actions without false identification, leading to freedom from bondage.

How can I apply this teaching in modern life while working and caring for family?

Perform duties responsibly, but practice remembering, “I am the witness-self; the body-mind acts by nature.” This reduces anxiety and ego, supporting steady devotion and inner peace.