> > S'rîmad Bhâgavatam - Canto 11
> > Sanskrit, word-for-word and original translation of Swami Prabhupâda his pupils
> > (for the purports one will have to consult the books under the copyright of the BBT)

> > *******

> > Canto 11: 'General History'

> > *******

> > Chapter Twenty-four: The Philosophy of Sânkhya

> > TEXT 1

> > s'rî-bhagavân uvâca

> > atha te sampravakshyâmi

> > sânkhyam pûrvair vinis'citam

> > yad vijn'âya pumân sadyo

> > jahyâd vaikalpikam bhramam

> > s'rî-bhagavân uvâca - the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; atha - now; te - unto you; sampravakshyâmi - I shall speak; sânkhyam - the knowledge of the evolution of the elements of creation; pûrvaih - by previous authorities; vinis'citam - ascertained; yat - which; vijnâya - knowing; pumân - a person; sadyah - immediately; jahyât - can give up; vaikalpikam - based on false duality; bhramam - the illusion.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Lord S'rî Krishna said - Now I shall describe to you the science of Sânkhya, which has been perfectly established by ancient authorities. By understanding this science a person can immediately give up the illusion of material duality.

> > ******

> > TEXT 2

> > âsîj jn'ânam atho artha

> > ekam evâvikalpitam

> > yadâ viveka-nipunâ

> > âdau krita-yuge 'yuge

> > âsît - there existed; jn'ânam - the seer; atha u - thus; arthah - the seen; ekam - one; eva - simply; avikalpitam - undifferentiated; yadâ - when; viveka - in discrimination; nipunâh - persons who were expert; âdau - in the beginning; krita-yuge - in the age of purity; ayuge - and before that, during the time of annihilation.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Originally, during the Krita-yuga, when all men were very expert in spiritual discrimination, and also previous to that, during the period of annihilation, the seer existed alone, nondifferent from the seen object.

> > ******

> > TEXT 3

> > tan mâyâ-phala-rûpena

> > kevalam nirvikalpitam

> > vân-mano-'gocaram satyam

> > dvidhâ samabhavad brihat

> > tat - that (Supreme); mâyâ - of the material nature; phala - and the enjoyer of its manifestations; rûpena - in the two forms; kevalam - one; nirvikalpitam - nondifferentiated; vâk - to speech; manah - and the mind; agocaram - inaccessible; satyam - true; dvidhâ - twofold; samabhavat - He became; brihat - the Absolute Truth.

> > TRANSLATION

> > That one Absolute Truth, remaining free from material dualities and inaccessible to ordinary speech and mind, divided Himself into two categories - the material nature and the living entities who are trying to enjoy the manifestations of that nature.

> > ******

> > TEXT 4

> > tayor ekataro hy arthah

> > prakritih sobhayâtmikâ

> > jn'ânam tv anyatamo bhâvah

> > purushah so 'bhidhîyate

> > tayoh - of the two; ekatarah - one; hi - indeed; arthah - entity; prakritih - nature; sâ - she; ubhaya-âtmikâ - consisting of both the subtle causes and their manifest products; jn'ânam - (who possesses) consciousness; tu - and; anyatamah - the other; bhâvah - entity; purushah - the living soul; sah - he; abhidhîyate - is called.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Of these two categories of manifestation, one is material nature, which embodies both the subtle causes and manifests products of matter. The other is the conscious living entity, designated as the enjoyer.

> > ******

> > TEXT 5

> > tamo rajah sattvam iti

> > prakriter abhavan gunâh

> > mayâ prakshobhyamânâyâh

> > purushânumatena ca

> > tamah - ignorance; rajah - passion; sattvam - goodness; iti - thus; prakriteh - from nature; abhavan - became manifest; gunâh - the modes; mayâ - by Me; prakshobhyamânâyâh - who was being agitated; purusha - of the living entity; anumatena - in order to fulfill the desires; ca - and.

> > TRANSLATION

> > When material nature was agitated by My glance, the three material modes - goodness, passion and ignorance - became manifest to fulfill the pending desires of the conditioned souls.

> > ******

> > TEXT 6

> > tebhyah samabhavat sûtram

> > mahân sûtrena samyutah

> > tato vikurvato jâto

> > yo 'hankâro vimohanah

> > tebhyah - from those modes; samabhavat - arose; sûtram - the first transformation of nature, endowed with the potency of activity; mahân - primeval nature endowed with the potency of knowledge; sûtrena - with this sûtra-tattva; samyûtah - conjoined; tatah - from the mahat; vikurvatah - transforming; jâtah - was generated; yah - which; ahankârah - false ego; vimohanah - the cause of bewilderment.

> > TRANSLATION

> > From these modes arose the primeval sûtra, along with the mahat-tattva. By the transformation of the mahat-tattva was generated the false ego, the cause of the living entities' bewilderment.

> > ******

> > TEXT 7

> > vaikârikas taijasas' ca

> > tâmasas' cety aham tri-vrit

> > tan-mâtrendriya-manasâm

> > kâranam cid-acin-mayah

> > vaikârikah - in the mode of goodness; taijasah - in the mode of passion; ca - and; tâmasah - in the mode of ignorance; ca - also; iti - thus; aham - false ego; tri-vrit - in three categories; tat-mâtra - of the subtle forms of sense objects; indriya - of the senses; manasâm - and of the mind; kâranam - the cause; cit-acit - both spirit and matter; mayah - encompassing.

> > TRANSLATION

> > False ego, which is the cause of physical sensation, the senses, and the mind, encompasses both spirit and matter and manifests, in three varieties - in the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance.

> > ******

> > TEXT 8

> > arthas tan-mâtrikâj jajn'e

> > tâmasâd indriyâni ca

> > taijasâd devatâ âsann

> > ekâdas'a ca vaikritât

> > arthah - the gross elements; tat-mâtrikât - from the subtle sensations (which themselves are derived from false ego in the mode of goodness); jajn'e - became generated; tâmasât - from false ego in the mode of ignorance; indriyâni - the senses; ca - and; taijasât - from false ego in the mode of passion; devatâh - the demigods; âsan - arose; ekâdas'a - eleven; ca - and; vaikritât - from false ego in the mode of goodness.

> > TRANSLATION

> > From false ego in the mode of ignorance came the subtle physical perceptions, from which the gross elements were generated. From false ego in the mode of passion came the senses, and from false ego in the mode of goodness arose the eleven demigods.

> > ******

> > TEXT 9

> > mayâ san'coditâ bhâvâh

> > sarve samhatya-kârinah

> > andam utpâdayâm âsur

> > mamâyatanam uttamam

> > mayâ - by Me; san'coditâh - impelled; bhâvâh - elements; sarve - all; samhatya - by amalgamation; kârinah - functioning; andam - the egg of the universe; utpâdayâm âsuh - they brought into being; mama - My; âyatanam - residence; uttamam - superior.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Impelled by Me, all these elements combined to function in an orderly fashion and together gave birth to the universal egg, which is My excellent place of residence.

> > ******

> > TEXT 10

> > tasminn aham samabhavam

> > ande salila-samsthitau

> > mama nâbhyâm abhût padmam

> > vis'vâkhyam tatra câtma-bhûh

> > tasmin - within that; aham - I; samabhavam - appeared; ande - in the egg of the universe; salila - in the water of the Causal Ocean; samsthitau - which was situated; mama - My; nâbhyâm - from the navel; abhût - arose; padmam - a lotus; vis'va-âkhyam - known as universal; tatra - in that; ca - and; âtma-bhûh - self-born Brahmâ.

> > TRANSLATION

> > I Myself appeared within that egg, which was floating on the causal water, and from My navel arose the universal lotus, the birthplace of self-born Brahmâ.

> > ******

> > TEXT 11

> > so 'srijat tapasâ yukto

> > rajasâ mad-anugrahât

> > lokân sa-pâlân vis'vâtmâ

> > bhûr bhuvah svar iti tridhâ

> > sah - he, Brahmâ; asrijat - created; tapasâ - by his austerity; yuktah - endowed; rajasâ - with the potency of the mode of passion; mat - My; anugrahât - because of the mercy; lokân - the different planets; sa-pâlân - along with their presiding demigods; vis'va - of the universe; âtmâ - the soul; bhûh bhuvah svah iti - called Bhûr, Bhuvar and Svar; tridhâ - three divisions.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Lord Brahmâ, the soul of the universe, being endowed with the mode of passion, performed great austerities by My mercy and thus created the three planetary divisions, called Bhûr, Bhuvar and Svar, along with their presiding deities.

> > ******

> > TEXT 12

> > devânâm oka âsît svar

> > bhûtânâm ca bhuvah padam

> > martyâdînâm ca bhûr lokah

> > siddhânâm tritayât param

> > devânâm - of the demigods; okah - the home; âsît - became; svah - heaven; bhûtânâm - of ghostly spirits; ca - and; bhuvah - Bhuvar; padam - the place; martya-âdînâm - of ordinary mortal humans and other beings; ca - and; bhûh lokah - the planet called Bhûr; siddhânâm - (the place) of those striving for liberation; tritayât - these three divisions; param - beyond.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Heaven was established as the residence of the demigods, Bhuvarloka as that of the ghostly spirits, and the earth system as the place of human beings and other mortal creatures. Those mystics who strive for liberation are promoted beyond these three divisions.

> > ******

> > TEXT 13

> > adho 'surânâm nâgânâm

> > bhûmer oko 'srijat prabhuh

> > tri-lokyâm gatayah sarvâh

> > karmanâm tri-gunâtmanâm

> > adhah - below; asurânâm - of the demons; nâgânâm - of the celestial snakes; bhûmeh - from the earth; okah - the residence; asrijat - created; prabhuh - Lord Brahmâ; tri-lokyâm - of the three worlds; gatayah - the destinations; sarvâh - all; karmanâm - of fruitive activities; tri-guna-âtmanâm - partaking of the three modes.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Lord Brahmâ created the region below the earth for the demons and the Nâga snakes. In this way the destinations of the three worlds were arranged as the corresponding reactions for different kinds of work performed within the three modes of nature.

> > ******

> > TEXT 14

> > yogasya tapasas' caiva

> > nyâsasya gatayo 'malâh

> > mahar janas tapah satyam

> > bhakti-yogasya mad-gatih

> > yogasya - of mystic yoga; tapasah - of great austerity; ca - and; eva - certainly; nyâsasya - of the renounced order of life; gatayah - the destinations; amalâh - spotless; mahah - Mahar; janah - Janas; tapah - Tapas; satyam - Satya; bhakti-yogasya - of devotional service; mat - My; gatih - destination.

> > TRANSLATION

> > By mystic yoga, great austerities and the renounced order of life, the pure destinations of Maharloka, Janoloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka are attained. But by devotional yoga, one achieves My transcendental abode.

> > ******

> > TEXT 15

> > mayâ kâlâtmanâ dhâtrâ

> > karma-yuktam idam jagat

> > guna-pravâha etasminn

> > unmajjati nimajjati

> > mayâ - by Me; kâla-âtmanâ - who contains the energy of time; dhâtrâ - the creator; karma-yuktam - full of fruitive activities; idam - this; jagat - world; guna-pravâhe - in the mighty current of the modes; etasmin - in this; unmajjati - one rises up; nimajjati - one drowns.

> > TRANSLATION

> > All results of fruitive work have been arranged within this world by Me, the supreme creator acting as the force of time. Thus one sometimes rises up toward the surface of this mighty river of the modes of nature and sometimes again submerges.

> > ******

> > TEXT 16

> > anur brihat kris'ah sthûlo

> > yo yo bhâvah prasidhyati

> > sarvo 'py ubhaya-samyuktah

> > prakrityâ purushena ca

> > anuh - small; brihat - great; kris'ah - thin; sthûlah - stout; yah yah - whatever; bhâvah - manifestation; prasidhyati - is established; sarvah - all; api - indeed; ubhaya - by both; samyuktah - conjoined; prakrityâ - by nature; purushena - by the enjoying spirit soul; ca - and.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Whatever features visibly exist within this world - small or great, thin or stout - certainly contain both the material nature and its enjoyer, the spirit soul.

> > ******

> > TEXT 17

> > yas tu yasyâdir antas' ca

> > sa vai madhyam ca tasya san

> > vikâro vyavahârârtho

> > yathâ taijasa-pârthivâh

> > yah - which (cause); tu - and; yasya - of which (product); âdih - the beginning; antah - the end; ca - and; sah - that; vai - indeed; madhyam - the middle; ca - and; tasya - of that product; san - being (real); vikârah - the transformation; vyavahâra-arthah - for ordinary purposes; yathâ - as; taijasa - things produced from gold (which is itself derived from fire); pârthivah - and things produced from earth.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Gold and earth are originally existing as ingredients. From gold one may fashion golden ornaments such as bracelets and earrings, and from earth one may fashion clay pots and saucers. The original ingredients gold and earth exist before the products made from them, and when the products are eventually destroyed, the original ingredients, gold and earth, will remain. Thus, since the ingredients are present in the beginning and at the end, they must also be present in the middle phase, taking the form of a particular product to which we assign for convenience a particular name, such as bracelet, earring, pot or saucer. We can therefore understand that since the ingredient cause exists before the creation of a product and after the product's destruction, the same ingredient cause must be present during the manifest phase, supporting the product as the basis of its reality.

> > ******

> > TEXT 18

> > yad upâdâya pûrvas tu

> > bhâvo vikurute 'param

> > âdir anto yadâ yasya

> > tat satyam abhidhîyate

> > yat - which (form); upâdâya - accepting as the ingredient cause; pûrvah - the previous cause (such as the mahat-tattva); tu - and; bhâvah - thing; vikurute - produces as transformation; aparam - the second thing (such as the element ahankâra); âdih - the beginning; antah - the end; yadâ - when; yasya - of which (product); tat - that (cause); satyam - real; abhidhîyate - is called.

> > TRANSLATION

> > A material object, itself composed of an essential ingredient, creates another material object through transformation. Thus one created object becomes the cause and basis of another created object. A particular thing may thus be called real in that it possesses the basic nature of another object that constitutes its origin and final state.

> > ******

> > TEXT 19

> > prakritir yasyopâdânam

> > âdhârah purushah parah

> > sato 'bhivyan'jakah kâlo

> > brahma tat tritayam tv aham

> > prakritih - material nature; yasya - of which (produced manifestation of the universe); upâdânam - the ingredient cause; âdhârah - the foundation; purushah - the Personality of Godhead; parah - Supreme; satah - of the real (nature); abhivyan'jakah - the agitating agent; kâlah - time; brahma - the Absolute Truth; tat - this; tritayam - group of three; tu - but; aham - I.

> > TRANSLATION

> > The material universe may be considered real, having nature as its original ingredient and final state. Lord Mahâ-Vishnu is the resting place of nature, which becomes manifest by the power of time. Thus nature, the almighty Vishnu and time are not different from Me, the Supreme Absolute Truth.

> > ******

> > TEXT 20

> > sargah pravartate tâvat

> > paurvâparyena nityas'ah

> > mahân guna-visargârthah

> > sthity-anto yâvad îkshanam

> > sargah - the creation; pravartate - continues to exist; tâvat - to that extent; paurva-aparyena - in the form of parents and children; nityas'ah - perpetually; mahân - bountiful; guna-visarga - of the variegated manifestation of the material modes; arthah - for the purpose; sthiti-antah - until the end of its maintenance; yâvat - as long as; îkshanam - the glance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

> > TRANSLATION

> > As long as the Supreme Personality of Godhead continues to glance upon nature, the material world continues to exist, perpetually manifesting through procreation the great and variegated flow of universal creation..

> > ******

> > TEXT 21

> > virân mayâsâdyamâno

> > loka-kalpa-vikalpakah

> > pan'catvâya vis'eshâya

> > kalpate bhuvanaih saha

> > virâth - the universal form; mayâ - by Me; âsâdyamânah - being pervaded; loka - of the planets; kalpa - of repeated creation, maintenance and destruction; vikalpakah - manifesting the variety; pan'catvâya - the elemental manifestation of creation of the five elements; vis'eshâya - in varieties; kalpate - is capable of displaying; bhuvanaih - with the different planets; saha - being endowed.

> > TRANSLATION

> > I am the basis of the universal form, which displays endless variety through the repeated creation, maintenance and destruction of the planetary systems. Originally containing within itself all planets in their dormant state, My universal form manifests the varieties of created existence by arranging the coordinated combination of the five elements.

> > ******

> > TEXTS 22 - 27

> > anne pralîyate martyam

> > annam dhânâsu lîyate

> > dhânâ bhûmau pralîyante

> > bhûmir gandhe pralîyate

> > apsu pralîyate gandha

> > âpas' ca sva-gune rase

> > lîyate jyotishi raso

> > jyotî rûpe pralîyate

> > rûpam vâyau sa ca spars'e

> > lîyate so 'pi câmbare

> > ambaram s'abda-tan-mâtra

> > indriyâni sva-yonishu

> > yonir vaikârike saumya

> > lîyate manasîs'vare

> > s'abdo bhûtâdim apyeti

> > bhûtâdir mahati prabhuh

> > sa lîyate mahân sveshu

> > gunesu guna-vattamah

> > te 'vyakte sampralîyante

> > tat kâle lîyate 'vyaye

> > kâlo mâyâ-maye jîve

> > jîva âtmani mayy aje

> > âtmâ kevala âtma-stho

> > vikalpâpâya-lakshanah

> > anne - in food; pralîyate - becomes merged; martyam - the mortal body; annam - food; dhânâsu - within the grains; lîyate - becomes merged; dhânâh - the grains; bhûmau - in the earth; pralîyante - become merged; bhûmih - the earth; gandhe - within fragrance; pralîyate - becomes merged;

> > apsu - in water; pralîyate - becomes merged; gandhah - fragrance; âpah - water; ca - and; sva-gune - within its own quality; rase - taste; lîyate - becomes merged; jyotishi - within fire; rasah - taste; jyotih - fire; rûpe - within form; pralîyate - becomes merged;

> > rûpam - form; vâyau - in air; sah - it; ca - and; spars'e - in touch; lîyate - becomes merged; sah - it; api - also; ca - and; ambare - in ether; ambaram - ether; s'abda - in sound; tat-mâtre - its corresponding subtle sensation; indriyâni - the senses; sva-yonishu - in their sources, the demigods;

> > yonih - the demigods; vaikârike - in false ego in the mode of goodness; saumya - My dear Uddhava; lîyate - become merged; manasi - in the mind; îs'vare - which is the controller; s'abdah - sound; bhûta-âdim - in the original false ego; apyeti - becomes merged; bhûta-âdih - false ego; mahati - in the total material nature; prabhuh - powerful;

> > sah - that; lîyate - becomes merged; mahân - the total material nature; sveshu - in its own; guneshu - three modes; guna-vat-tamah - being the ultimate abode of these modes; te - they; avyakte - in the unmanifest form of nature; sampralîyante - become completely merged; tat - that; kâle - in time; lîyate - become merged; avyaye - in the infallible;

> > kâlah - time; mâyâ-maye - who is full of transcendental knowledge; jîve - in the Supreme Lord, who activates all living beings; jîvah - that Lord; âtmani - in the Supreme Self; mayi - in Me; aje - the unborn; âtmâ - the original Self; kevalah - alone; âtma-sthah - self-situated; vikalpa - by creation; apâya - and annihilation; lakshanah - characterized.

> > TRANSLATION

> > At the time of annihilation, the mortal body of the living being becomes merged into food. Food merges into the grains, and the grains merge back into the earth. The earth merges into its subtle sensation, fragrance. Fragrance merges into water, and water further merges into its own quality, taste. That taste merges into fire, which merges into form. Form merges into touch, and touch merges into ether. Ether finally merges into the sensation of sound. The senses all merge into their own origins, the presiding demigods, and they, O gentle Uddhava, merge into the controlling mind, which itself merges into false ego in the mode of goodness. Sound becomes one with false ego in the mode of ignorance, and all-powerful false ego, the first of all the physical elements, merges into the total nature. The total material nature, the primary repository of the three basic modes, dissolves into the modes. These modes of nature then merge into the unmanifest form of nature, and that unmanifest form merges into time. Time merges into the Supreme Lord, present in the form of the omniscient Mahâ-purusha, the original activator of all living beings. That origin of all life merges into Me, the unborn Supreme Soul, who remains alone, established within Himself. It is from Him that all creation and annihilation are manifested.

> > ******

> > TEXT 28

> > evam anvîkshamânasya

> > katham vaikalpiko bhramah

> > manaso hridi tisthheta

> > vyomnîvârkodaye tamah

> > evam - in this way; anvîkshamânasya - of one who is carefully examining; katham - how; vaikalpikah - based on duality; bhramah - illusion; manasah - of his mind; hridi - in the heart; tisthheta - can remain; vyomni - in the sky; iva - just as; arka - of the sun; udaye - upon the rising; tamah - darkness.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Just as the rising sun removes the darkness of the sky, similarly, this scientific knowledge of cosmic annihilation removes all illusory duality from the mind of a serious student. Even if illusion somehow enters his heart, it cannot remain there.

> > ******

> > TEXT 29

> > esha sânkhya-vidhih proktah

> > sams'aya-granthi-bhedanah

> > pratilomânulomâbhyâm

> > parâvara-dris'a mayâ

> > eshah - this; sânkhya-vidhih - method of Sânkhya (analytic philosophy); proktah - spoken; sams'aya - of doubts; granthi - the bondage; bhedanah - which breaks; pratiloma-anulomâbhyâm - in both direct and reverse order; para - the situation of the spiritual world; avara - and the inferior situation of the material world; dris'â - by Him who sees perfectly; mayâ - by Me.

> > TRANSLATION

> > Thus I, the perfect seer of everything material and spiritual, have spoken this knowledge of Sânkhya, which destroys the illusion of doubt by scientific analysis of creation and annihilation.

> > Back to the running text