Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 14

The Appearance of Lord Viṣṇu (Kṛṣṇa) and the Divine Exchange with Yoga-māyā

Devanagari script

स एव स्वप्रकृत्येदं सृष्ट्वाग्रे त्रिगुणात्मकम् । तदनु त्वं ह्यप्रविष्ट: प्रविष्ट इव भाव्यसे ॥ १४ ॥

Transliteration

sa eva svaprakṛtyedaṁ sṛṣṭvāgre tri-guṇātmakam tad anu tvaṁ hy apraviṣṭaḥ praviṣṭa iva bhāvyase

Translation

My Lord, You are the same person who in the beginning created this material world by His personal external energy. After the creation of this world of three guṇas [sattva, rajas and tamas], You appear to have entered it, although in fact You have not.

Synonyms

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• sva-prakṛtyā: by his own nature (prakṛti)
• sva-prakṛtyā: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + prakṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘by/with his own prakṛti’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण

• idam: this (universe)
• idam: Karma (कर्म/object of sṛṣṭvā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• sṛṣṭvā: having created
• sṛṣṭvā: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/gerundial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sṛj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; √सृज्—‘to create’

• agre: in the beginning
• agre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/adverbial locus)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-निभ (adverbial use of locative); सप्तमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत्; अर्थे—‘at first/in the beginning’

• tri-guṇa-ātmakam: consisting of the three guṇas
• tri-guṇa-ātmakam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative: ‘having the nature of three guṇas’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying idam)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म/object in sense with anu)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; ‘that (creation)’

• anu: after that
• anu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/sequence marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/अव्यय (postposition-like) अर्थे—‘after/following’

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (contextual), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) अर्थे—‘indeed/for’

• apraviṣṭaḥ: not entered
• apraviṣṭaḥ: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (प्रधानविशेषण/predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- + praviṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √viś with pra)
• Form: नञ्-समास/उपसर्ग-निषेध; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP) ‘not entered’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• praviṣṭaḥ: entered
• praviṣṭaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praviṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, pra√viś)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपमान-विशेषण (with iva)

• iva: as if
• iva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-निपात (comparative particle)

• bhāvyase: are regarded/appear
• bhāvyase: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), आत्मनेपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘you are considered/appear’

Purport

In Bhagavad-gītā (7.4) the Supreme Personality of Godhead clearly explains:

Characters & Entities

• Devaki
• Vasudeva
• Lord Vishnu (as Krishna)

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about God creating the universe through the three modes of nature?

This verse states that the Lord creates the cosmos through His own material energy, and that creation is tri-guṇa-ātmaka—made of sattva, rajas, and tamas.

Why does Devaki say Krishna has 'not entered' the universe yet is seen as 'entered'?

Devaki highlights the Lord’s transcendence: He remains beyond matter, yet by His all-pervading presence (as the Supreme controller) He is experienced within creation as if He has entered it.

How can this teaching be applied in modern spiritual life?

It trains one to see the Divine as both beyond the world and present within it—encouraging devotion while living responsibly amid the modes of nature.