SB 10.85.17 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.85.17

असावहं ममैवैते देहे चास्यान्वयादिषु । स्‍नेहपाशैर्निबध्नाति भवान् सर्वमिदं जगत् ॥ १७ ॥

asāv aham mamaivaite

[asaav aham mamaivaite]

dehe cāsyānvayādiṣu

[dehe chaasyaanvayaadishu]

sneha-pāśair nibadhnāti

[sneha-paashair nibadhnaati]

bhavān sarvam idaṁ jagat

[bhavaan sarvam idam jagat]

Word-for-word

asau — this aham — I mama — mine eva — indeed ete — these dehe — in connection with one’s body ca — and asya — of it anvaya - ādiṣu — and in connection with progeny and other related things sneha — of affection pāśaiḥ — with the ropes nibadhnāti — tie up bhavān — You sarvam — all idam — this jagat — world .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

asāv aham mamaivaite

asau

this

aham

mama

mine

eva

indeed

ete

these

dehe cāsyānvayādiṣu

dehe

in connection with one’s body

and

asya

of it

anvaya - ādiṣu

and in connection with progeny and other related things

sneha-pāśair nibadhnāti

sneha

of affection

pāśaiḥ

with the ropes

nibadhnāti

tie up

bhavān sarvam idaṁ jagat

bhavān

You

sarvam

all

idam

this

jagat

world .

Important Words

asau aham mama — I, mine
The three pronouns of false self: asau (this one), aham (I), mama (mine). The Bhāgavatam diagnoses these as the actual chains. Liberation is the unbinding of exactly these three words.
sneha-pāśaiḥ — by the ropes of affection
Compound: sneha (affection) + pāśa (rope, noose). Sneha is normally a positive vātsalya-word; here it is the binding agent. Gauḍīyas distinguish material sneha (toward body and progeny) from rasa-sneha (toward Kṛṣṇa and His devotees).
nibadhnāti — binds
Causative present of ni + √bandh. Bhagavān binds — He is the binder; He is also the unbinder. The same Person who tied Vasudeva to family-life is now offering, as Vasudeva's son, to release him.
anvaya-ādiṣu — in offspring and so on
Compound: anvaya (lineage, descendants) + ādi (etc.). The 'mama' moves outward through children, spouse, wealth, nation. Each circle is a tighter loop of the same rope.

You keep this whole world bound up by the ropes of affection, and thus when people consider their material bodies, they think, “This is me,” and when they consider their progeny and other relations, they think, “These are mine.”

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

You keep this whole world bound up by the ropes of affection, and thus when people consider their material bodies, they think, "This is me," and when they consider their progeny and other relations, they think, "These are mine."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

He speaks this verse with affectionate anger.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

“Māyā does not affect my devotees.” You alone bind up the world. Thus māyā, with its bonds of affection, is hard to overcome by people like me.

Related values & verses

Related values

Adambhitva (Non-hypocrisy / Authenticity)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Tejas (Inner Radiance / Vigour)Discriminative Wisdom

Concepts

MayaJiva

Personal Guidance

You bind the world with ropes of affection — people consider bodies, families, possessions as themselves. Love misplaced is the engine of bondage; love directed correctly is the engine of liberation.

Reflection Questions

Which 'rope of affection' is currently most binding for me?
Where could the same warmth be redirected toward what frees rather than what binds?

Analogy

A puppeteer holds two ropes — 'this is me' and 'this is mine' — and every person dances when these are pulled. Bhagavān Himself is the rope-holder. Vasudeva is confessing on behalf of the whole world: the bondage is real, but its origin is not in us.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io