Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 3
Karma-vāda Critiqued, Varṇāśrama Reframed, and the Soul’s Distinction from the Body
सुप्तस्य विषयालोको ध्यायतो वा मनोरथ: । नानात्मकत्वाद् विफलस्तथा भेदात्मधीर्गुणै: ॥ ३ ॥
suptasya viṣayāloko dhyāyato vā manorathaḥ nānātmakatvād viphalas tathā bhedātma-dhīr guṇaiḥ
Như người đang ngủ thấy nhiều cảnh vật dục lạc trong mộng, và những ước vọng của kẻ suy niệm cũng đa dạng nên rốt cuộc vô ích; cũng vậy, jīva đang “ngủ” đối với bản ngã linh thiêng, do trí phân biệt bởi các guṇa, thấy vô số đối tượng giác quan—tất cả chỉ là tạo tác tạm bợ của māyā-śakti của Chúa. Bị giác quan thúc đẩy mà thiền tưởng chúng, người ấy uổng phí trí tuệ.
Because the fruits of material work are temporary, it ultimately does not matter whether or not one obtains them; the final result is the same. Materialistic activities can never award the highest perfection of life, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The material intelligence, impelled by the senses, strongly desires sense gratification. As stated here ( bhedātma-dhīḥ ), such intelligence actually separates one from one’s real self-interest. Thus the intelligence, absorbed in that which is materially favorable and unfavorable, becomes divided in pursuit of innumerable categories of material advancement. Such divided intelligence is impotent and cannot understand the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The devotees of the Lord, however, have their intelligence fixed on one point — Lord Kṛṣṇa. They meditate upon the Lord’s form, qualities, pastimes and devotees, and thus their intelligence is never separated from the Absolute Truth. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (2.41) :
FAQs
This verse says that identifying the self as separate due to the influence of the material modes (gunas) is ultimately futile—like dream sense-objects or mere mental fantasies—because it is not grounded in spiritual reality.
Krishna is training Uddhava to see that bondage is largely sustained by mental projection and misidentification with the gunas, so that Uddhava can cultivate spiritual discrimination and move toward liberation and pure devotion.
Treat anxious projections and daydreamed outcomes like dream-images—notice them without building identity on them—and redirect attention to steady spiritual practice (bhakti, remembrance, and discernment beyond the gunas).