FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.85.12

नश्वरेष्विह भावेषु तदसि त्वमनश्वरम् । यथा द्रव्यविकारेषु द्रव्यमात्रं निरूपितम् ॥ १२ ॥
naśvareṣv iha bhāveṣu
[nashvareshv iha bhaaveshu]
tad asi tvam anaśvaram
[tad asi tvam anashvaram]
yathā dravya-vikāreṣu
[yathaa dravya-vikaareshu]
dravya-mātraṁ nirūpitam
[dravya-maatram niroopitam]
Word-for-word
naśvareṣu — subject to destruction iha — in this world bhāveṣu — among entities tat — that asi — are tvam — You anaśvaram — the indestructible yathā — just as dravya — of a substance vikāreṣu — among the transformations dravya - mātram — the substance itself nirūpitam — ascertained .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
naśvareṣv iha bhāveṣu
naśvareṣu
subject to destruction
iha
in this world
bhāveṣu
among entities
tad asi tvam anaśvaram
tat
that
asi
are
tvam
You
anaśvaram
the indestructible
yathā dravya-vikāreṣu
yathā
just as
dravya
of a substance
vikāreṣu
among the transformations
dravya-mātraṁ nirūpitam
dravya - mātram
the substance itself
nirūpitam
ascertained .
Important Words
  • naśvareṣu — among destructible things
    Locative plural of naśvara, 'perishable'. Everything in the field of vyavahāra is destructible — except the Person who underlies them. The verse echoes BG 2.16's sad-asat distinction.
  • anaśvaram — the indestructible
    Negation of naśvara: 'non-perishable'. Gauḍīyas: Bhagavān's body, name, abode, and associates are all anaśvara — sac-cid-ānanda — even when they appear within the perishable realm.
  • dravya-vikāreṣu — in the transformations of a substance
    Compound: dravya (substance) + vikāra (modification). The classical Vedānta example: clay/pot, gold/ornament. The substance persists; the form transforms. Bhagavān is the dravya of every dravya.
  • nirūpitam — is determined, ascertained
    Past participle of nir + √rūp, 'to define, fix the form of'. A philosophical technical term. Vasudeva's statement is not poetic; it is śāstra-vat — defining-grade language.
You are the one indestructible entity among all the destructible things of this world, like the underlying substance that is seen to remain unchanged while the things made from it undergo transformations.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
You are the one indestructible entity among all the destructible things of this world, like the underlying substance that is seen to remain unchanged while the things made from it undergo transformations.
Commentary

You are the indestructible pradhana among all the perishable states, just as earth and gold, though permanent take temporary forms like pots and earrings.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

You are the indestructible material cause (upādānam). You as Brahman are the cause of all śaktis.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The śakti for realizing happiness in liberation, for liberated souls, comes from you. You are designated by those who know or are seen to be (nirūpitam) the indestructible consciousness in all causes of the universe (bhāveṣu).

Related values & verses
Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomAbhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)
Related verses
BG 17.20 BG 5.7 BG 12.5 BG 5.4 BG 3.27 BG 10.4 BG 3.11 BG 18.1 BG 7.8 BG 13.1 BG 12.6
Personal Guidance
You are the one indestructible Self among destructibles, like the underlying substance behind every changing form. Beneath all flux is one steady reality.
Reflection Questions
  • What in my life feels like flux that points to a steady Self underneath?
  • Where do I cling to a changing form when the underlying substance is what I really love?
Analogy

Gold remains gold whether it is bracelet, ring, or coin — the ornaments change names, the substance does not. Bhagavān is the unchanging substance through every transformation; whatever appears and vanishes does so on His permanence.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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