Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

श्रीप्रह्राद उवाच पर: स्वश्चेत्यसद्ग्राह: पुंसां यन्मायया कृत: । विमोहितधियां द‍ृष्टस्तस्मै भगवते नम: ॥ ११ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-prahrāda uvāca paraḥ svaś cety asad-grāhaḥ puṁsāṁ yan-māyayā kṛtaḥ vimohita-dhiyāṁ dṛṣṭas tasmai bhagavate namaḥ

Translation

普罗诃罗陀说：众生之智被至上主的幻力所迷，遂生“友”与“敌”的虚妄分别。我向那位薄伽梵至上主顶礼。

Synonyms

• śrī-prahrādaḥ: Prahlāda (honored)
• śrī-prahrādaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī-prahrāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative, 1st), Ekavacana (Singular); समासः—श्री + प्रह्राद (उपपद-विशेषणपूर्वक कर्मधारय)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (Perfect-like past in epic usage; actually Liṭ-form), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana (Singular), Parasmaipada

• paraḥ: the other (as ‘other’)
• paraḥ: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य/Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā (Nominative, 1st), Ekavacana; used as substantive

• svaḥ: one’s own (as ‘self’)
• svaḥ: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य/Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā (Nominative, 1st), Ekavacana; used as substantive

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (conjunction/particle)

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (वाक्यार्थ-द्योतक/Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Iti-śabdaḥ (quotative particle)

• asat-grāhaḥ: false conception/grasping of the unreal
• asat-grāhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asat + grāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; समासः—षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः तत्पुरुषः (asat-viṣayaḥ grāhaḥ)

• puṁsām: of men
• puṁsām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṁs (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive, 6th), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• yat: which
• yat: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य/Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napūṁsaka (Neuter), Prathamā (Nominative, 1st), Ekavacana; relative pronoun referring to the notion

• māyayā: by (His) māyā
• māyayā: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine), Tṛtīyā vibhakti (Instrumental, 3rd), Ekavacana

• kṛtaḥ: made/produced
• kṛtaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण/Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta—kta-pratyaya (past passive participle), Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; agrees with asat-grāhaḥ

• vimohita-dhiyām: of those whose minds are deluded
• vimohita-dhiyām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vimohita + dhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive, 6th), Bahuvacana; समासः—vimohitā dhīḥ yeṣām (genitive plural of compound base)

• dṛṣṭaḥ: is seen/appears
• dṛṣṭaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण/Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta—kta (past passive participle), Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; agrees with asat-grāhaḥ; sense: ‘is seen/appears’

• tasmai: to Him
• tasmai: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Dative recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Caturthī vibhakti (Dative, 4th), Ekavacana

• bhagavate: to the Lord
• bhagavate: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Dative recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Caturthī (Dative, 4th), Ekavacana

• namaḥ: obeisance
• namaḥ: Sambodhana-artha (सम्बोधनार्थ/Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: Nipāta/avyaya used as salutation; governs dative (caturthī)

Purport

As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (5.18) :

Characters & Entities

• Prahlada
• Bhagavan (Supreme Lord)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the illusion of “mine” and “yours”?

Prahlāda explains that the sense of “other” and “my own” is a false grasp produced by the Lord’s māyā, perceived by deluded intelligence; devotion begins by offering oneself to the Supreme beyond this duality.

Why did Prahlada Maharaja speak this teaching in Canto 7 Chapter 5?

Prahlāda was instructing his schoolmates among the asuras, correcting their materialistic outlook by showing that divisive identification is māyā and that one should worship the Supreme Lord.

How can I apply Prahlada’s teaching about maya in modern life?

Notice possessiveness and “us vs them” thinking as a product of delusion, reduce ego-based ownership, and anchor daily choices in devotion and service to Bhagavān rather than in rivalry and attachment.