Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 11

Aditi’s Payo-vrata and Viṣṇu’s Promise to Appear as Her Son

Prelude to Vāmana

Devanagari script

श्रीशुक उवाच अदित्यैवं स्तुतो राजन्भगवान्पुष्करेक्षण: । क्षेत्रज्ञ: सर्वभूतानामिति होवाच भारत ॥ ११ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-śuka uvāca adityaivaṁ stuto rājan bhagavān puṣkarekṣaṇaḥ kṣetra-jñaḥ sarva-bhūtānām iti hovāca bhārata

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King Parīkṣit, best of the Bharata dynasty, when the lotus-eyed Lord, the Supersoul of all living entities, was thus worshiped by Aditi, He replied as follows.

Synonyms

• श्री: revered
• श्री: सम्बन्ध (Honorific/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — honorific marker

• शुकः: Śuka
• शुकः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘said’

• अदित्या: by Aditi
• अदित्या: कर्ता (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/कर्ता-करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular ‘by Aditi’

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक — adverb ‘thus’

• स्तुतः: praised
• स्तुतः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘praised’

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Vocative singular

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• पुष्करेक्षणः: the lotus-eyed one
• पुष्करेक्षणः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर-ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — बहुव्रीहि: ‘पुष्कर इक्षणे यस्य’ (lotus-eyed)

• क्षेत्रज्ञः: knower of the field
• क्षेत्रज्ञः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र-ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘क्षेत्रस्य ज्ञः’ (knower of the field)

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — ‘of all beings’

• इति: thus
• इति: वाक्यचिह्न (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक — quotative particle

• ह: indeed
• ह: निपात (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात — emphatic particle

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘said’

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Vocative singular

Characters & Entities

• Śukadeva Gosvāmī
• Parīkṣit Mahārāja
• Aditi
• Bhagavān (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam mean by 'kṣetrajña' (knower of the field)?

Here it indicates the Supreme Lord as the indwelling witness (Paramātmā) who knows the body-mind field and the experiences of all beings.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī call the Lord 'puṣkarekṣaṇa' (lotus-eyed) here?

It is a devotional epithet highlighting the Lord’s divine beauty and auspiciousness as He responds to Aditi’s heartfelt praise.

Practical application of this verse in modern life?

Remember that God is present within all beings as the inner witness; this supports ethical living, humility, and steady bhakti even amid uncertainty.