SB 11.23.45 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.23.45

दानं स्वधर्मो नियमो यमश्च श्रुतं च कर्माणि च सद्‍व्रतानि । सर्वे मनोनिग्रहलक्षणान्ता: परो हि योगो मनस: समाधि: ॥ ४५ ॥

dānaṁ sva-dharmo niyamo yamaś ca

[daanam sva-dharmo niyamo yamash cha]

śrutaṁ ca karmāṇi ca sad-vratāni

[shrutam cha karmaani cha sad-vrataani]

sarve mano-nigraha-lakṣaṇāntāḥ

[sarve mano-nigraha-lakshanaantaah]

paro hi yogo manasaḥ samādhiḥ

[paro hi yogo manasah samaadhih]

Word-for-word

dānam — giving of charity sva-dharmaḥ — carrying out one’s prescribed duties niyamaḥ — the regulations of day-to-day life yamaḥ — the major regulations of spiritual practice ca — and śrutam — listening to scripture ca — and karmāṇi — pious work ca — and sat — pure vratāni — vows sarve — all manaḥ-nigrahaḥ — the subduing of the mind lakṣaṇa — consisting of antāḥ — their aim paraḥ — supreme hi — indeed yogaḥ — transcendental knowledge manasaḥ — of the mind samādhiḥ — meditation on the Supreme in trance.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

dānaṁ sva-dharmo niyamo yamaś ca

dānam

giving of charity

sva-dharmaḥ

carrying out one’s prescribed duties

niyamaḥ

the regulations of day-to-day life

yamaḥ

the major regulations of spiritual practice

and

śrutaṁ ca karmāṇi ca sad-vratāni

śrutam

listening to scripture

and

karmāṇi

pious work

and

sat

pure

vratāni

vows

sarve mano-nigraha-lakṣaṇāntāḥ

sarve

all

manaḥ-nigrahaḥ

the subduing of the mind

lakṣaṇa

consisting of

antāḥ

their aim

paro hi yogo manasaḥ samādhiḥ

paraḥ

supreme

indeed

yogaḥ

transcendental knowledge

manasaḥ

of the mind

samādhiḥ

meditation on the Supreme in trance.

Charity, prescribed duties, observance of major and minor regulative principles, hearing from scripture, pious works and purifying vows all have as their final aim the subduing of the mind. Indeed, concentration of the mind on the Supreme is the highest yoga.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Charity, prescribed duties, niyama and yama, hearing from scripture, pious works and purifying vows all have as their final aim the subduing of the mind, since control of the mind is the best yoga. Therefore one should endeavor to control the mind, since it creates all obstacles. Charity and other acts have as their final result control of the mind, because control of the mind is the best type of yoga.

Personal Guidance

Charity, duties, regulative principles, hearing, pious works, vows — all aim ultimately at subduing the mind; mind's concentration on the Supreme is the highest yoga. The end-game is named.

Reflection Questions

Which practice am I doing without the inner aim of subduing the mind?
Could I retune that practice to its real purpose?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io