FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.14.29

स्‍त्रीणां स्‍त्रीसङ्गिनां सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा दूरत आत्मवान् । क्षेमे विविक्त आसीनश्चिन्तयेन्मामतन्द्रित: ॥ २९ ॥
strīṇāṁ strī-saṅgināṁ saṅgaṁ
[streenaam stree-sanginaam sangam]
tyaktvā dūrata ātmavān
[tyaktvaa doorata aatmavaan]
kṣeme vivikta āsīnaś
[ksheme vivikta aaseenash]
cintayen mām atandritaḥ
[chintayen maam atandritah]
strīṇām — of women strī — to women saṅginām — of those who are attached or intimately associated saṅgam — association tyaktvā — giving up dūrataḥ — far away ātma-vān — being conscious of the self kṣeme — fearless vivikte — in a separated or isolated place āsīnaḥ — sitting cintayet — one should concentrate mām — on Me atandritaḥ — with great care.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
strīṇāṁ strī-saṅgināṁ saṅgaṁ
strīṇām
of women
strī
to women
saṅginām
of those who are attached or intimately associated
saṅgam
association
tyaktvā dūrata ātmavān
tyaktvā
giving up
dūrataḥ
far away
ātma-vān
being conscious of the self
kṣeme vivikta āsīnaś
kṣeme
fearless
vivikte
in a separated or isolated place
āsīnaḥ
sitting
cintayen mām atandritaḥ
cintayet
one should concentrate
mām
on Me
atandritaḥ
with great care.
Being conscious of the eternal self, one should give up association with women and those intimately associated with women. Sitting fearlessly in a solitary place, one should concentrate the mind on Me with great attention.

One who has intimate contact with women and becomes attached to them will gradually lose his determination to go back home, back to Godhead. Association with lusty men gives exactly the same result. Therefore, one is advised to be fearless and to sit down in a solitary place, or a place where there are no lusty men and women committing spiritual suicide. Without fear of failure or of unhappiness in life, one should remain with sincere devotees of the Lord. Atandrita means that one should not compromise this principle but should be rigid and cautious. All this is possible only for one who is ātmavān, or fixed in practical understanding of the eternal soul.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Being determined, one should completely give up association with women and people intimately associated with women. Sitting in a solitary, secure place, one should concentrate the mind on me with great attention. The path of kāma proclaimed by Vātsyāyana in Kāma-sūtra should be rejected particularly. Because one who has determination (ātmavān) will lose his determination in association with women, he should reside in a solitary place where there is no fear (kṣeme).
Conscious of the eternal self, give up association with women and those intimately associated with them; sit fearlessly in a solitary place concentrating on Me. (For the renunciant context.) The teaching addresses serious renunciants directly.
Reflection Questions
  • Which 'association' most easily de-centers my consciousness?
  • What 'solitary place', even briefly, could I sit in fearlessly today?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 14