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 //
不害、真实、不偷盗、无执著、端庄的羞惭与不囤积；对吠陀的信受、梵行、守戒的寂默、坚定、宽恕与无畏——这些皆为应当修习的高贵德行。
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.