Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 10

Jaḍa Bharata Instructs King Rahūgaṇa: The Mind as Bondage and the Two Kṣetrajñas

Devanagari script

गन्धाकृतिस्पर्शरसश्रवांसि विसर्गरत्यर्त्यभिजल्पशिल्पा: । एकादशं स्वीकरणं ममेति शय्यामहं द्वादशमेक आहु: ॥ १० ॥

Transliteration

gandhākṛti-sparśa-rasa-śravāṁsi visarga-raty-arty-abhijalpa-śilpāḥ ekādaśaṁ svīkaraṇaṁ mameti śayyām ahaṁ dvādaśam eka āhuḥ

Translation

声、触、色、味、香为五知觉根之境；言语、执取、行走、排泄与交合为五作业根之境。除此之外，还有“这是我的”之执：我的身体、我的社会、我的家族、我的国家等，此即我执（ahaṅkāra）的作用。有些哲人将其称为第十二种作用，其活动领域即此身。

Synonyms

• gandha-ākṛti-sparśa-rasa-śravāṁsi: smell, form, touch, taste, and sound
• gandha-ākṛti-sparśa-rasa-śravāṁsi: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + ākṛti (प्रातिपदिक) + sparśa (प्रातिपदिक) + rasa (प्रातिपदिक) + śravas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṁsaka-liṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; samāhāra/itaretara-dvandva listing sense-objects: smell, form, touch, taste, sound

• visarga-rati-arti-abhijalpa-śilpāḥ: excretion, pleasure, pain, speech, and craft
• visarga-rati-arti-abhijalpa-śilpāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: visarga (प्रातिपदिक) + rati (प्रातिपदिक) + arti (प्रातिपदिक) + abhijalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + śilpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; dvandva listing: excretion, pleasure, pain, speech, and craft

• ekādaśam: the eleventh
• ekādaśam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ekādaśa (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Saṅkhyā, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; qualifying svīkaraṇam

• svīkaraṇam: acceptance; appropriation
• svīkaraṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svīkaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक; कृ धातु-नञ्/णिच् भाव)
• Form: Napुṁsaka-liṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• mama: my
• mama: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; sarvanāma (genitive pronoun)

• iti: thus; as
• iti: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (वाक्यार्थ-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; iti-śabda (quotative particle)

• śayyām: bed; lying down
• śayyām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śayyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā, Ekavacana; sarvanāma (1st person pronoun)

• dvādaśam: the twelfth
• dvādaśam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Saṅkhyā, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; qualifying śayyām (as 'the twelfth')

• eke: some (persons)
• eke: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; 'some (people)'

• āhuḥ: have said; say
• āhuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (perfect), Prathama-puruṣa, Bahuvacana

Purport

There are different objects for the eleven items. Through the nose we can smell, by the eyes we can see, by the ears we can hear, and in this way we gather knowledge. Similarly, there are the karmendriyas, the working senses — the hands, legs, genitals, rectum, mouth and so forth. When the false ego expands, it makes one think, “This is my body, family, society, country,” etc.

Characters & Entities

• Jada Bharata
• King Rahugana

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about ‘mameti’ and ‘aham’ (mine and I)?

This verse identifies ‘mine’ and ‘I’ as the core of false bodily identification—the twelfth element that binds the living being to material life.

Why did Jada Bharata speak this to King Rahugana?

Rahugana was proud and bodily-minded; Jada Bharata instructed him to see that bondage arises from misidentifying the self with the body and its functions.

Practical application of this teaching in modern life?

Notice how ‘I am this’ and ‘this is mine’ drive anxiety and conflict; cultivate the witness-consciousness of the soul and practice devotion to reduce possessiveness and ego.