SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 11

(1) The Supreme Lord said: 'When one understands that the world, this combination of matter and person, is based upon one and the same reality, one should refrain from praising and criticizing someone else's nature and activities. (2) He who praises or criticizes someone else's nature and actions quickly looses grip on that what is his own interest because he gets entangled in a self-created reality. (3) A person aware of the objective diversity is just [as unaware of the one reality] as an embodied soul whose senses overcome by sleep within the physical encasement experience the illusory [of a dream] or the deathlike of having lost consciousness. (4) How can one distinguish between good and bad with this material duality that belongs to the realm of our imagination? Musing over it with our mind and expressing it in words we do not cover the truth [*]. (5) Shadows, echoes and mirages, though mere projections, create motives [in people]; the same way the body and all of its material conceptions create fear until the day one dies. (6-7) The Supreme Soul who alone creates the universe and is created as its Lord, protects and is protected as the Self of all Creation and withdraws and is withdrawn as the Controller. Accordingly no other entity can be ascertained as existing apart from Him, and thus has this threefold appearance established within the Supreme Self and consisting of the modes no [other or independent] basis; know that the threefold [of the seen, the seeing and the seer according to resp. the tamas, the rajas and the sattva quality] is a construct of the illusory energy [under the influence of Him in the form of Time, see also B.G. 14: 19]. (8) Someone who fixed in the knowledge as laid down and realized by Me knows about this, does not blame or praise [in looking for another cause], he freely wanders the earth just like the sun does [see B.G. 2: 57, 13: 13, 13: 32, 14: 22-25]. (9) When one from direct perception, logical deduction, scriptural truth and one's self-realization knows that the inessential has a beginning and an end, one should move around in this world free from attachment [see also B.G. 2: 16].'

(10) S'rî Uddhava said: 'O my Lord, who is it actually who carries the experience of this [changing] material existence? It is not precisely the [unchanging] soul, the seer who is self-aware, nor does it belong to the body, the seen that [changing itself] has no experiencing self of its own. (11) The inexhaustible soul, free from the modes, is pure, self-luminous and uncovered just like a fire, while the material body is like firewood that is without understanding. To which of the two belongs the experience of a material life in this world?'

(12) The Supreme Lord said: 'As long as the soul is attracted to the body, the senses and the vital force, his material existence, which carries its fruit in due course, will nevertheless be meaningless because of a lack of discrimination. (13) Even though material substance has no real existence [because of its impermanence], the material condition [as for its constituent elements] does not cease to be and one has, like in a dream contemplating the objects of the senses, to face the consequent disadvantages [compare 3.27: 4, 4.29: 35 & 73, 11.22: 56, B.G. 2: 14]. (14) That [dream] what brings the one who is not awake in his sleep many undesirable experiences, will certainly not confound the one who awakened though. (15) Lamentation, elation, fear, anger, greed, confusion, hankering and such is seen upon the birth and death of one's identification with the body [ahankâra] and does not depend on the soul [that doesn't take birth or die, see 11.22: 12, 11.23: 50-56, 11.25: 30]. (16) Falsely motivated dwelling within the self of the material body, the senses, life-air and the mind, the living being assumes his form according to the gunas and the karma. He is then, depending the way he relates to the thread constituted by the greater of nature, described with different names when he under the strict control of Time wanders about in the ocean of matter. (17) This without a firm basis being represented in the many forms of the mind, the speech, the life force, the gross body and fruitive actions, will, with the sword of transcendental knowledge that was sharpened in worship, be cut down by a sober sage who walks the earth free from desires. (18) Spiritual knowledge [entails] the discrimination [of spirit and matter and is nourished by], scripture and penance, personal experience, historical accounts and logical inference. [It is based upon] that which is there equally in the beginning and in the end of this [creation] and which is the same in between, knowing the Time and Ultimate Cause [of brahman, the Absolute Truth, see also B.G. 10: 30, 33, 11: 32 and kâla]. (19) Like gold alone being present before it is processed, when it is processed and in the final product of the processing, I am present in the disguise of the different modes [of processing] of this creation. (20) My dearest, this spirit of condensed knowledge in its three conditions [of wakefulness, sleep and unconscious sleep], constitutes, manifesting itself in the form of the modes as the causing [of rajas], the caused [of tamas] and the causer [of sattva, compare 11.22: 30], the fourth factor [the 'gold'] which as an independent variable stands for the single truth of each of them. (21) That what was absent before, is absent afterwards, and isn't there [independently] in between, is but a designation; whatever that was created and is known by something else, is actually only that something else; that is how I see it. (22) The spiritual reality of God as established in its own light manifests the Absolute Truth as the variety of the senses, their objects, the mind and the transformations. For that reason is this creation, that because of the mode of rajas is subject to modification, self-luminous, even though it is not really there [see also siddhânta]. (23) When one this way by discriminating logic has achieved clarity about the Absolute of the Spiritual Truth, one must expertly speak against and cut with the doubt regarding the Self and satisfied in one's own spiritual happiness desist from all lusty [unregulated] matters [see B.G. 3: 34]. (24) The body made of earth is not the true self, nor are the senses, their gods or the life air, the external air, water, fire or a mind only interested in food; nor are the intelligence, material consciousness, the I that thinks itself the doer, the ether, the earth, material things or the restraint. (25) What's the merit of him who properly ascertained my identity and in his concentration managed to direct his - by the modes controlled - senses perfectly? And what on the other hand would be the blame for him who is diverted by his senses? Would the sun care about being covered by clouds or a sky clearing up? (26) Just as the sky is not affected by the coming and going qualities of the air, fire, water and earth or by the qualities of the seasons [of heat and cold], is likewise the Imperishable Supreme elevated above the influence of the natural modes of sattva, rajas and tamas that are responsible for the fact that he who takes his body for the true self is caught in the material world [see also 1.3: 36, 3.27: 1, B.G. 7: 13]. (27) Nevertheless, until by firmly being rooted in My bhakti-yoga one has banned the impurity of the mind of passion, one must eliminate the attachment associated with the qualities that belong to the deluding material energy [see B.G. 7: 1, 14 and **]. (28) The same way as a disease that was imperfectly treated turns back time and again and brings a man trouble, the mind that was not purified of its

contamination of karma will torment the inexperienced yogi who still is of all kinds of attachments. (29) Imperfect yogis who are commanded by impediments in the form of the human beings [family members, disciples etc., see e.g. S'rî S'rî S'ikshâshthaka-4] sent by the thirty gods [see tridas'a] will, on the strength of their perseverance in their previous life once more [in a new life] engage in the practice of yoga, but never again be entangled in fruitive labor [see also 11.18: 14, B.G. 6: 41-42]. (30) A normal living being who has to experience the consequences of his fruitive labor, remains, impelled by this or that impulse, in that position until the moment he dies. But someone intelligent is, despite of being situated in the material position, not that [fickle], because he with the experience of the happiness he found gave up his material desire. (31) He whose consciousness is fixed in the true self doesn't give it a moment's thought whether he is standing, sitting, walking or lying down, urinating, eating food or doing whatever else that manifests from his conditioned nature. (32) Someone intelligent doesn't take anything else for essential. Whenever he sees the not really [independently] existing things of the senses, he from his logic denies them their separateness, so that they are like the things of a dream that lose their value when one wakes up. (33) Material ignorance which under the influence of the modes of nature assumes many forms is by the conditioned soul taken for an inextricable part of himself, but the ignorance ends by simply developing His vision, My best one. The soul on the other hand is not something one accepts or leaves behind. (34) When the sun rises is the darkness in the human eye expelled, but that rising is not creating the things that are seen then. Similarly a thorough and adroit search for the true of Me puts an end to the darkness of someone's intelligence [while that search itself is not the reason why his soul exists]. (35) This selfluminous, unborn, immeasurable Greatness of Understanding who is aware of everything is the One Without a Second in whom words find their closure, and by whom impelled the speech and the life airs move. (36) Whatever the notion of duality the self might have is but a delusion to the unique soul, as it indeed has no basis outside of that very self [compare 7.13: 7]. (37) The dualistic, imaginative interpretation [in terms of good and bad, see also 11.21: 16] by so-called scholars of this in names and forms perceivable duality which unmistakably consists of the five elements, is in vain [see also 5.6: 11].

(38) The body of the yogi who with a lack of experience tries to engage in the practice of yoga, may be overcome by rising disturbances. In that case is the following the prescribed rule of conduct: (39) Some disturbances may be overcome by postures [âsanas] combined with concentration [dhârana], penance [tapas, see ***], mantras and medicinal herbs. (40) Some of the inauspicious matters can be overcome step by step by constantly thinking of Me [Vishnu-smarana], by the celebration of My names and such [japa, sankîrtana] and by following in the footsteps of the masters of yoga [see also B.G. 6: 25]. (41) Some [yogis] make their self-controlled bodies suitable by fixing themselves on the youthful with the help of various methods and try that way to be perfect in their material control [siddhis]. (42) By the ones who enjoy a good condition that is not honored though, convinced as they are that such an endeavor is quite useless, because the body, like the fruit of a tree, will perish anyway [see also 11.15: 33]. (43) Someone with a devoted mind does not value it highly to practice yoga regularly with the purpose of realizing a healthy body, he who is devoted to Me gives up on the yoga [for that purpose, *4]. (44) The yogi following this process of yoga will, freed from desires having taken to the shelter of Me, not be disheartened by obstacles and [thus] experience the happiness of his soul.'

When one understands that the world, this combination of matter and person, is based upon one and the same reality, one should refrain from praising and criticizing someone else's nature and activities.

Supreme Lord said: 'Seeing the world with its material nature and enjoyer as based on one soul, should one not praise, nor criticize someone else's nature and activities. (Vedabase)

Text 2

He who praises or criticizes someone else's nature and actions quickly looses grip on that what is his own interest because he gets entangled in a self-created reality.

He who praises or criticizes someone else's nature and actions quickly looses sight of his own interest getting caught in the inessential. (Vedabase)

Text 3

A person aware of the objective diversity is just [as unaware of the one reality] as an embodied soul whose senses overcome by sleep within the physical encasement experience the illusory [of a dream] or the deathlike of having lost consciousness.

When the bright of the one residing within the material encasement is overcome by sleep is there the experience of the illusory [of dreams] or the deathlike of having lost consciousness; the same way [not that bright] sees a person the objective variety. (Vedabase)

Text 4

How can one distinguish between good and bad with this material duality that belongs to the realm of our imagination? Musing over it with our mind and expressing it in words we do not cover the truth [*].

What would be the good or bad of this insubstantial duality, that, meditated in the mind and expressed in so many words, indeed lacks in truth [*]. (Vedabase)

Text 5

Shadows, echoes and mirages, though mere projections, create motives [in people]; the same way the body and all of its material conceptions create fear until the day one dies.

Shadows, echoes and mirages, though mere projections, create motives; the same way the body and all of its material conceptions give rise to fear till the day one dies. (Vedabase)

Text 6-7

The Supreme Soul who alone creates the universe and is created as its Lord, protects and is protected as the Self of all Creation and withdraws and is withdrawn as the Controller. Accordingly no other entity can be ascertained as existing apart from Him, and thus has this threefold appearance established within the Supreme Self and consisting of the modes no [other or independent] basis; know that the threefold [of the seen, the seeing and the seer according to resp. the tamas, the rajas and the sattva quality] is a construct of the illusory energy [under the influence of Him in the form of Time, see also B.G. 14: 19].

The Supreme Soul alone creates the universe and is created as its Lord, protects and is protected as the Self of all Creation and withdraws and is withdrawn as the Controller; accordingly no other entity can be ascertained as existing apart from Him, and thus has this threefold appearance established within the Supreme Self and consisting of the modes no [other or independent] basis; know that the threefold [of the seen, the seeing and the seer according to resp. the tamas, the rajas and the sattva quality] is a construct of the illusory energy [under the influence of Him in the form of Time, see also B.G. 14: 19]. (Vedabase)

Text 8

Someone who fixed in the knowledge as laid down and realized by Me knows about this, does not blame or praise [in looking for another cause], he freely wanders the earth just like the sun does [see B.G. 2: 57, 13: 13, 13: 32, 14: 22-25].

The one who, being fixed in the knowledge laid down and realized by Me, knows this, does not blame or praise [in looking for another cause], he wanders the world like the sun does [see B.G. 2: 57, 13: 13, 13: 32, 14: 22-25]. (Vedabase)

Text 9

When one from direct perception, logical deduction, scriptural truth and one's self-realization knows that the inessential has a beginning and an end, one should move around in this world free from attachment [see also B.G. 2: 16].'

From direct perception, logical deduction, scriptural truth and one's selfrealization knowing that the inessential has a beginning and an end, should one free from attachment move about out here [see also B.G. 2: 16].' (Vedabase)

Text 10

S'rî Uddhava said: 'O my Lord, who is it actually who carries the experience of this [changing] material existence? It is not precisely the [unchanging] soul, the seer who is self-aware, nor does it belong to the body, the seen that [changing itself] has no experiencing self of its own.

S'rî Uddhava said: 'O Lord of whom might be the experience of the material existence? It is not exactly of the soul, the seer that is self-aware, nor is it of the body, the seen that has no experiencing self of its own. (Vedabase)

Text 11

The inexhaustible soul, free from the modes, is pure, self-luminous and uncovered just like a fire, while the material body is like firewood that is without understanding. To which of the two belongs the experience of a material life in this world?'

The soul inexhaustible, free from the modes, is pure and stands in its own light uncovered like a fire, while the material body is like firewood, without understanding; to which of them is the experience of a material life out here?' (Vedabase)

Text 12

The Supreme Lord said: 'As long as the soul is attracted to the body, the senses and the vital force, his material existence, which carries its fruit in due course, will nevertheless be meaningless because of a lack of discrimination.

The Supreme Lord said: 'As long as the attraction of the soul goes out to the body, the senses and the vital force, will the material existence - fruitful as it is for the time - be meaningless though, for lacking in discrimination. (Vedabase)

Text 13

Even though material substance has no real existence [because of its impermanence], the material condition [as for its constituent elements] does not cease to be and one has, like in a dream contemplating the objects of the senses, to face the consequent disadvantages [compare 3.27: 4, 4.29: 35 & 73, 11.22: 56, B.G. 2: 14].

Even though the substance is nonexistence [non-permanence], does the material condition [in its elements] not cease to be and is there, contemplating like in a dream the objects of the senses, the arrival of disadvantages [compare 3.27: 4, 4.29: 35 & 73, 11.22: 56, B.G. 2: 14]. (Vedabase)

Text 14

That [dream] what brings the one who is not awake in his sleep many undesirable experiences, will certainly not confound the one who awakened though.

That [dream] which to the one not awake in his sleep presents many undesirable experiences, does to the one awakened certainly not give rise to confusion. (Vedabase)

Text 15

Lamentation, elation, fear, anger, greed, confusion, hankering and such is seen upon the birth and death of one's identification with the body [ahankâra] and does not depend on the soul [that doesn't take birth or die, see 11.22: 12, 11.23: 50-56, 11.25: 30].

The lamentation, elation, fear, anger, greed, confusion, hankering and such, appear with the birth and death of one's identification with the body [ahankâra] and not with the soul [that doesn't take birth or die, see 11.22: 12, 11.23: 50-56, 11.25: 30]. (Vedabase)

Text 16

Falsely motivated dwelling within the self of the material body, the senses, life-air and the mind, the living being assumes his form according to the gunas and the karma. He is then, depending the way he relates to the thread constituted by the greater of nature, described with different names when he under the strict control of Time wanders about in the ocean of matter.

Haughty dwelling within the self of the material body, the senses, life-air and the mind, assumes the living being his form according the gunas and the karma and is he, relating to the thread of the greater nature, thus variously described as he runs about in the material ocean under the strict control of Time. (Vedabase)

Text 17

This without a firm basis being represented in the many forms of the mind, the speech, the life force, the gross body and fruitive actions, will, with the sword of transcendental knowledge that was sharpened in worship, be cut down by a sober sage who walks the earth free from desires.

This with no [other] basis in many forms, to the mind, the speech, the life force, the gross body and the fruitive action being represented, will, with the sword of transcendental knowledge that was sharpened in worship, be cut down by a sober sage who free from desires wanders the earth. (Vedabase)

Text 18

Spiritual knowledge [entails] the discrimination [of spirit and matter and is nourished by], scripture and penance, personal experience, historical accounts and logical inference. [It is based upon] that which is there equally in the beginning and in the end of this [creation] and which is the same in between, knowing the Time and Ultimate Cause [of brahman, the Absolute Truth, see also B.G. 10: 30, 33, 11: 32 and kâla].

Spiritual knowledge [entails] the discrimination [of spirit and matter], the scripture and the penance; the direct experience, the historical accounts and the following logic; and that which alone indeed is there from the beginning to the end of this [creation] and which is the same in the middle as the Time and Ultimate Cause [of brahman, the Absolute Truth, see also B.G. 10: 30, 33, 11: 32 and kâla]. (Vedabase)

Text 19

Like gold alone being present before it is processed, when it is processed and in the final product of the processing, I am present in the disguise of the different modes [of processing] of this creation.

Just as gold, before being wrought, in the middle being utilized, and thereafter, is only that to everything golden, do I the same way exist in the various designations of this [creation]. (Vedabase)

Text 20

My dearest, this spirit of condensed knowledge in its three conditions [of wakefulness, sleep and unconscious sleep], constitutes, manifesting itself in the form of the modes as the causing [of rajas], the caused [of tamas] and the causer [of sattva, compare 11.22: 30], the fourth factor [the 'gold'] which as an independent variable stands for the single truth of each of them.

This spirit of condensed knowledge in its three conditions [of wakefulness, sleep and unconscious sleep], is my dear, manifesting through the modes as the causing [of rajas], the caused [of tamas] and the causer [of sattva, compare 11.22: 30], the fourth factor that being separate is the single truth to each of them. (Vedabase)

Text 21

That what was absent before, is absent afterwards, and isn't there [independently] in between, is but a designation; whatever that was created and is known by something else, is actually only that something else; that is how I see it.

That which wasn't there before nor is there afterwards, isn't there in between but as a designation; whatever that is created and is made known by something else, is actually only that something else; that is how I think about it. (Vedabase)

Text 22

The spiritual reality of God as established in its own light manifests the Absolute Truth as the variety of the senses, their objects, the mind and the transformations. For that reason is this creation, that because of the mode of rajas is subject to modification, self-luminous, even though it is not really there [see also siddhânta].

The spiritual reality of God as established in its own light manifests the Absolute Truth as the variety of the senses, their objects, the mind and the transformations and for that reason does does this creation, that of the mode of rajas is subject to modification, shine forth, though it is not really there [see also siddhânta].(Vedabase)

Text 23

When one this way by discriminating logic has achieved clarity about the Absolute of the Spiritual Truth, one must expertly speak against and cut with the doubt regarding the Self and satisfied in one's own spiritual happiness desist from all lusty [unregulated] matters [see B.G. 3: 34].

This way by discriminating logic clear about the Absolute of the Spiritual Truth should one, expert by refuting what's beside the point, cut down the doubt regarding the self and satisfied in one's own spiritual happiness desist from all lusty [unregulated] matters [see B.G. 3: 34]. (Vedabase)

Text 24

The body made of earth is not the true self, nor are the senses, their gods or the life air, the external air, water, fire or a mind only interested in food; nor are the intelligence, material consciousness, the I that thinks itself the doer, the ether, the earth, material things or the restraint.

The body made of earth is not the true self, nor are senses, their gods or the life air; the external air, the water, the fire or the mind just after the food; nor are the intelligence, the material consciousness, the I that thinks itself the doer, the ether, the earth, material things or the original state of balance. (Vedabase)

Text 25

What's the merit of him who properly ascertained my identity and in his concentration managed to direct his - by the modes controlled - senses perfectly? And what on the other hand would be the blame for him who is diverted by his senses? Would the sun care about being covered by clouds or a sky clearing up?

What 's the merit of one who perfect in concentrating his senses - that basically belong to the gunas - and who rightly has ascertained My personal identity; and on the other hand what blame indeed would there be for a mind distracted? What of the sun to which clouds gathered or dispersed? (Vedabase)

Text 26

Just as the sky is not affected by the coming and going qualities of the air, fire, water and earth or by the qualities of the seasons [of heat and cold], is likewise the Imperishable Supreme elevated above the influence of the natural modes of sattva, rajas and tamas that are responsible for the fact that he who takes his body for the true self is caught in the material world [see also 1.3: 36, 3.27: 1, B.G. 7: 13].

Just as the sky is not entangled by the coming and going qualities of the seasons or the qualities of the air, the fire, the water and the earth is likewise the All-pervading superior to contaminations by the modes of sattva, rajas and tamas, the notions of ego or the causes of evolving through successive states [see also 1.3: 36, 3.27: 1, B.G. 7: 13]. (Vedabase)

Text 27

Nevertheless, until by firmly being rooted in My bhakti-yoga one has banned the impurity of the mind of passion, one must eliminate the attachment associated with the qualities that belong to the deluding material energy [see B.G. 7: 1, 14 and **].

Yet must meanwhile the attachment in the qualities that spring from the deluding energy be shunned, until by My bhakti-yoga firm [being differently attached, see B.G. 7: 1], the dirt of the mind of passion is eliminated [see B.G. 14 and **]. (Vedabase)

Text 28

The same way as a disease that was imperfectly treated turns back time and again and brings a man trouble, the mind that was not purified of its contamination of karma will torment the inexperienced yogi who still is of all kinds of attachments.

The same way as a disease imperfectly treated repeatedly rising up gives man distress, will the mind not purified from its contamination of karma torment the imperfect yogî who [still] is of all kinds of attachments. (Vedabase)

Text 29

Imperfect yogis who are commanded by impediments in the form of the human beings [family members, disciples etc., see e.g. S'rî S'rî S'ikshâshthaka-4] sent by the thirty gods [see tridas'a] will, on the strength of their perseverance in their previous life once more [in a new life] engage in the practice of yoga, but never again be entangled in fruitive labor [see also 11.18: 14, B.G. 6: 41-42].

Those imperfect yogîs who are commanded by impediments in the form of human beings [family members, disciples etc., see e.g. s'iks'âshthaka-4] sent by the thirty gods [see tridas'a] will, on the strength of their perseverance in their previous life once more engage in the yogapractice, but never again be trapped in the fruitive labor [see also 11.18: 14, B.G. 6: 41-42]. (Vedabase)

Text 30

A normal living being who has to experience the consequences of his fruitive labor, remains, impelled by this or that impulse, in that position until the moment he dies. But someone intelligent is, despite of being situated in the material position, not that [fickle], because he with the experience of the happiness he found gave up his material desire.

The normal living entity is, of fruitive labor being in transition, impelled by some force or other so up to the point of death whereas the intelligent one, though situated in the material position, is not [that fickle], having given up material desire by the experience of his own happiness. (Vedabase)

Text 31

He whose consciousness is fixed in the true self doesn't give it a moment's thought whether he is standing, sitting, walking or lying down, urinating, eating food or doing whatever else that manifests from his conditioned nature.

He whose consciousness is fixed in the true self doesn't take notice of the standing, sitting, walking or lying down; urinating, eating food or doing whatever else that manifests from his conditioned nature.

Text 32

Someone intelligent doesn't take anything else for essential. Whenever he sees the not really [independently] existing things of the senses, he from his logic denies them their separateness, so that they are like the things of a dream that lose their value when one wakes up.

The one intelligent doesn't take anything else as essential; whenever he sees the not really [independently] existing things of the senses, refutes he the separateness by logical inference, so that they are like in a dream that disappears after waking up. (Vedabase) (Vedabase)

Text 33

Material ignorance which under the influence of the modes of nature assumes many forms is by the conditioned soul taken for an inextricable part of himself, but the ignorance ends by simply developing His vision, My best one. The soul on the other hand is not something one accepts or leaves behind.

The variety of ignorance, by the activities of the modes taken as being identical to the soul of yore, My dear, comes to an end again by consideration alone; the soul on the contrary is never assumed nor ever abandoned. (Vedabase)

Text 34

When the sun rises is the darkness in the human eye expelled, but that rising is not creating the things that are seen then. Similarly a thorough and adroit search for the true of Me puts an end to the darkness of someone's intelligence [while that search itself is not the reason why his soul exists].

As indeed happens with the sun rising, is the darkness of the human eyes vanquished - but that [rising] does not create what exists; similarly does the adroit investigation of the true of Me destroy the darkness in a person's intelligence [but not create the soul]. (Vedabase)

Text 35

This selfluminous, unborn, immeasurable Greatness of Understanding who is aware of everything is the One Without a Second in whom words find their closure, and by whom impelled the speech and the life airs move.

This selfluminous, unborn, immeasurable Greatness of Understanding aware of everything is the One Without a Second where words find closure, and by Whom impelled the speech and life airs move. (Vedabase)

Text 36

Whatever the notion of duality the self might have is but a delusion to the unique soul, as it indeed has no basis outside of that very self [compare 7.13: 7].

Whatever the notion of duality the self might have is but a delusion to the unique soul, as it indeed has no basis outside of that very self [compare 7.13: 7]. (Vedabase)

Text 37

The dualistic, imaginative interpretation [in terms of good and bad, see also 11.21: 16] by so-called scholars of this in names and forms perceivable duality which unmistakably consists of the five elements, is in vain [see also 5.6: 11].

The dualistic imaginative interpretation [in terms of good and bad, see also 11.21: 16] by so-called scholars of this in names and forms perceivable duality which unmistakably consists of the five elements, is only vain [see also 5.6: 11]. (Vedabase)

Text 38

The body of the yogi who with a lack of experience tries to engage in the practice of yoga, may be overcome by rising disturbances. In that case is the following the prescribed rule of conduct:

The body of the yogî who immature tries to engage in the practice of yoga, may be overcome by the disturbances which rose; in that connection is the following the prescribed rule of conduct: (Vedabase)

Text 39

Some disturbances may be overcome by postures [âsanas] combined with concentration [dhârana], penance [tapas, ***], mantras and medicinal herbs.

Some disturbances may be eradicated by postures [âsanas] combined with concentration [dhârana], penance [tapas, see ***], mantras and medicinal herbs. (Vedabase)

Text 40

Some of the inauspicious matters can be overcome step by step by constantly thinking of Me [Vishnu-smarana], by the celebration of My names and such [japa, sankîrtana] and by following in the footsteps of the masters of yoga [see also B.G. 6: 25].

Some of the inauspicious situations can step by step be overcome by constantly thinking of Me [Vishnu-smarana] by the celebration of My names and such [japa, sankîrtana] and by following in the footsteps of the masters of yoga [see also B.G. 6: 25]. (Vedabase)

Text 41

Some [yogis] make their self-controlled bodies suitable by fixing themselves on the youthful with the help of various methods and try that way to be perfect in their material control [siddhis].

Some [yogîs] by various means fixed in youth making this selfcontrolled material body fit thus engage for mystic perfections [siddhis]. (Vedabase)

Text 42

By the ones who enjoy a good condition that is not honored though, convinced as they are that such an endeavor is quite useless, because the body, like the fruit of a tree, will perish anyway [see also 11.15: 33].

By the ones conversant is that not honored, sure that that endeavor is quite useless, because the body, like the fruit of a tree, is perishable [see also 11.15: 33]. (Vedabase)

Text 43

Someone with a devoted mind does not value it highly to practice yoga regularly with the purpose of realizing a healthy body, he who is devoted to Me gives up on the yoga [for that purpose, *4].

The one intelligent seeing how someone regularly executing yoga attains fitness, takes, dedicated to Me giving up [any ulterior motive] in yoga, no [great] faith in that [*4]. (Vedabase)

Text 44

The yogi following this process of yoga will, freed from desires having taken to the shelter of Me, not be disheartened by obstacles and [thus] experience the happiness of his soul.'

The yogî executing this process of yoga is, free from hankering having taking to the shelter of Me, not checked by obstacles and experiences his own [soul's] happiness. (Vedabase)

*: Contrary to popular notions that the medium would be the message, here is stated clearly that the medium is not the message. The words and the ideas, and also the so-called fixed form of things, are all false relative to the original truth, the message, the essence. That what is expressed is the essence, not the expression itself. So is the one living being of the person and the living material nature with her Time as the masculine aspect, the essence and are all ideas, fixed things of it and words about it actually false. Thus we have the paradox of the in itself false expression in words and ideas, this sentence before you as a reader e.g., of what is true on itself as the wholeness of life. So there are idols of Krishna being worshiped with the strict warning not to consider them as something material. Thus are praise and criticism, good and bad, notions missing the point of what is objectively the value free reality of brahman, the Absolute Truth of the reality free from illusion that is outside as well as inside. Or as one puts it these days: science is value-free.

**: The purport of this is that, even though material nature as His gigantic virâth-rûpa form is nondifferent from the Supreme Lord (as elaborately described in this and other chapters), one who has yet to conquer material desire must not artificially seek solace in material things, declaring them to be nondifferent from the Lord [see p.p. 11.28: 27].

***: Concerning penance the beginner is reminded of the fact that voluntary penance, voluntary suffering, is better than penance enforced from the outside in the form of a disease, legal prosecution, shortage, calamities etc. Like the Jews in Exodus would be ready to leave Egypt one should be ready for the coming of the Lord [see also 11.17: 42 and B.G. 2: 40, 12: 16].

*4: Here one is reminded of the fact that characters like Râvana and Hiranyakas'ipu also practiced yoga and attained fitness; attaining perfections that way can also be a demoniac thing and is thus not the object of belief as stated here. Rather attaining the Lord is the motive for the yogi. Control, health and order is a nice thing to achieve, but without the Lord is it just as well a thing of the devil.