SB 11.16.11

SB 11.16.11

Devanagari

गुणिनामप्यहं सूत्रं महतां च महानहम् । सूक्ष्माणामप्यहं जीवो दुर्जयानामहं मन: ॥ ११ ॥

Verse text

guṇinām apy ahaṁ sūtraṁ mahatāṁ ca mahān aham sūkṣmāṇām apy ahaṁ jīvo durjayānām ahaṁ manaḥ

Synonyms

guṇinām among things possessing qualities ; api indeed ; aham I am ; sūtram the primary sūtra-tattva ; mahatām among great things ; ca also ; mahān the total material manifestation ; aham I am ; sūkṣmāṇām among subtle things ; api indeed ; aham I am ; jīvaḥ the spirit soul ; durjayānām among things difficult to conquer ; aham I am ; manaḥ the mind .

Translation

Among things possessing qualities I am the primary manifestation of nature, and among great things I am the total material creation. Among subtle things I am the spirit soul, and of things that are difficult to conquer I am the mind.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Among material things I am sūtra. In all antaḥkaraṇas, possessing mahat-tattva, I am citta. Among subtle things I am the jīva, and of things that are difficult to conquer, I am the mind. I am sūtra or prāṇa [Note: Sūtra is a modification of mahat-tattva, which is the first transformation of prakṛti.] in material objects made of guṇas. I am the citta among those possessing mahat-tattva or antaḥkaraṇa. [Note: Citta is the representative of mahat-tattva in the individual. Antaḥkaraṇa is composed of citta, buddhi, manas and anhaṅkāra.] Śruti describes the jīva: eṣo’ṇur ātmā cetasā veditavyo yasmin prāṇaḥ paṣcadhā saṁviveśa The small jīva upon which the five prāṇas rest should be known by the consciousness. Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.9 bālāgra-śatabhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca | bhāgo jīvaḥ sa vijṣeyaḥ The jīva should be known to be the size of one ten thousandth of a tip of a hair. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 5.9 ārāgra-mātro hy avaro’pi dṛṣṭaḥ The jīva is smaller than the tip of a spoke. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 5.8 Though the jīva is very small, it has the power to pervade the whole body. When a gem covered with resin or a small portion of powerful medicine is placed on the head, the effect of nourishment spreads throughout the whole body. Thus there is no contradiction concerning the jīva.