Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 14

Kriyā-yoga, the Virāṭ-Puruṣa Mapping, and the Sun-God’s Monthly Expansions

Devanagari script

ओज:सहोबलयुतं मुख्यतत्त्वं गदां दधत् । अपां तत्त्वं दरवरं तेजस्तत्त्वं सुदर्शनम् ॥ १४ ॥ नभोनिभं नभस्तत्त्वमसिं चर्म तमोमयम् । कालरूपं धनु: शार्ङ्गं तथा कर्ममयेषुधिम् ॥ १५ ॥

Transliteration

ojaḥ-saho-bala-yutaṁ mukhya-tattvaṁ gadāṁ dadhat apāṁ tattvaṁ dara-varaṁ tejas-tattvaṁ sudarśanam

Translation

The club the Lord carries is the chief element, prāṇa, incorporating the potencies of sensory, mental and physical strength. His excellent conchshell is the element water, His Sudarśana disc the element fire, and His sword, pure as the sky, the element ether. His shield embodies the mode of ignorance, His bow, named Śārṅga, time, and His arrow-filled quiver the working sensory organs.

Synonyms

• ओजः-सहः-बल-युतम्: endowed with vigor, endurance, and strength
• ओजः-सहः-बल-युतम्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस् (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वपूर्वक-विशेषणसमासः — ‘endowed with vigor, endurance, and strength’, qualifying ‘मुख्यतत्त्वम्’

• मुख्य-तत्त्वम्: the principal element/principle
• मुख्य-तत्त्वम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (मुख्यं तत्त्वम्) — Accusative singular

• गदाम्: mace
• गदाम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• दधत्: holding
• दधत्: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धा (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘holding’ (refers to the Lord)

• अपाम्: of the waters
• अपाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Genitive plural

• तत्त्वम्: principle, element
• तत्त्वम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• दर-वरम्: the excellent conch (Dārāvara)
• दर-वरम्: सम्बन्ध (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (दरः एव वरः) — ‘the best conch’, predicate/object apposition to ‘अपां तत्त्वम्’

• तेजस्-तत्त्वम्: the principle of fire/energy
• तेजस्-तत्त्वम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तेजसः तत्त्वम्) — Accusative singular

• सुदर्शनम्: Sudarśana (discus)
• सुदर्शनम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Hari (Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the meaning of Vishnu’s conch and Sudarshana chakra?

This verse explains that the conch represents the water principle, while the Sudarśana chakra represents the fire/radiance principle—showing how the Lord’s weapons embody cosmic elements.

Why does Shukadeva Goswami describe Vishnu’s weapons as tattvas (cosmic principles)?

He is teaching Parīkṣit how to contemplate the Lord as the source and controller of creation, where even the elements and their governing principles are present in His divine form.

Practical application of this teaching in modern life?

Use it as a meditation aid: when remembering Hari’s form, connect His attributes and symbols to the deeper truth that the universe is sustained by divine order, strengthening faith and steadiness in devotion.