SB 11.22.41 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.22.41

స్వప్నం మనోరథం చేత్థం ప్రాక్తనం న స్మరత్యసౌ । తత్ర పూర్వమివాత్మానమపూర్వమ్ చానుపశ్యతి ॥ ౪౧ ॥

svapnaṁ manorathaṁ cetthaṁ

[svapnam manoratham chettham]

prāktanaṁ na smaraty asau

[praaktanam na smaraty asau]

tatra pūrvam ivātmānam

[tatra poorvam ivaatmaanam]

apūrvam cānupaśyati

[apoorvam chaanupashyati]

Word-for-word

svapnam — a dream manaḥ-ratham — a daydream ca — and ittham — thus prāktanam — previous na smarati — does not remember asau — he tatra — in that (present body) pūrvam — the previous iva — as if ātmānam — himself apūrvam — having no past ca — and anupaśyati — he views.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

svapnaṁ manorathaṁ cetthaṁ

svapnam

a dream

manaḥ-ratham

a daydream

prāktanaṁ na smaraty asau

tatra pūrvam ivātmānam

apūrvam cānupaśyati

and

ittham

thus

prāktanam

na smarati

does not remember

asau

tatra

in that (present body)

pūrvam

the previous

iva

as if

ātmānam

himself

apūrvam

having no past

and

anupaśyati

he views.

Just as a person experiencing a dream or daydream does not remember his previous dreams or daydreams, a person situated in his present body, although having existed prior to it, thinks that he has only recently come into being.

Purport

The objection may be raised that sometimes when experiencing a dream one actually remembers a previous dream. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura replies that by the mystic power of jāti-smara one can remember one’s previous body, and as is well known, “The exception establishes the rule.” Normally, conditioned souls do not perceive their past existence; they think, “I am six years old” or “I am thirty years old,” and “previous to this birth I did not exist.” In such material ignorance one cannot understand the actual situation of the soul.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Just a person situated in his present body, although having existed at prior points in this life, thinks of himself in the present only, a person experiencing a dream or fantasy does not remember his previous dreams or fantasies. The example is given. Just as the jīva in his present body does not remember his previous gross body, so the jīva involved in his present dream or fantasy does not remember a previous dream or fantasy. Sometimes someone (called jāti-smaraḥ) can remember his previous body. But this is not a rule for everyone. Moreover the jīva situated in his present body thinks himself to be only in the present, even though he did exist before. “I am six years old.” “I am seven years old.” This recollection of the previous “I” is destroyed. He is aware of himself only at the present moment.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io