Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

तान्त्रिका: परिचर्यायां केवलस्य श्रिय: पते: । अङ्गोपाङ्गायुधाकल्पं कल्पयन्ति यथा च यै: ॥ २ ॥ तन्नो वर्णय भद्रं ते क्रियायोगं बुभुत्सताम् । येन क्रियानैपुणेन मर्त्यो यायादमर्त्यताम् ॥ ३ ॥

Transliteration

tāntrikāḥ paricaryāyāṁ kevalasya śriyaḥ pateḥ aṅgopāṅgāyudhākalpaṁ kalpayanti yathā ca yaiḥ

Translation

All good fortune to you! Please explain to us, who are very eager to learn, the process of kriyā-yoga practiced through regulated worship of the transcendental Lord, the husband of the goddess of fortune. Please also explain how the Lord’s devotees conceive of His limbs, associates, weapons and ornaments in terms of particular material representations. By expertly worshiping the Supreme Lord, a mortal can attain immortality.

Synonyms

• tāntrikāḥ: Tantric practitioners
• tāntrikāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāntrika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• paricaryāyām: in worship/service
• paricaryāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paricaryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• kevalasya: of the exclusive/sole (Lord)
• kevalasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kevala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• śriyaḥ: of Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• śriyaḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• pateḥ: of the Lord/husband
• pateḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• aṅga-upāṅga-āyudha-ākalpam: the arrangement of limbs, sub-limbs and weapons
• aṅga-upāṅga-āyudha-ākalpam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅga + upāṅga + āyudha + ākalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); dvandva of aṅga/upāṅga/āyudha qualifying ākalpa = ‘arrangement/equipment’

• kalpayanti: they arrange/construct
• kalpayanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kḷp (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन); परस्मैपद

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb/conjunction (समुच्चय/उपमान) ‘as/how’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• yaiḥ: by which (means)
• yaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); relative pronoun

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• naḥ: to us/for us
• naḥ: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive/Dative (6th/4th: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी), Plural (बहुवचन); enclitic pronoun ‘of us/to us’

• varṇaya: describe
• varṇaya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: varṇ (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd Person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); परस्मैपद

• bhadram: auspiciousness/good
• bhadram: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); used as benediction ‘good fortune’

• te: to you/for you
• te: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dative/Genitive (4th/6th: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन); enclitic ‘to you/for you’

• kriyā-yogam: the method of ritual practice
• kriyā-yogam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā + yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); ‘discipline/method (yoga) of ritual action (kriyā)’

• bubhutsatām: of those who wish to know
• bubhutsatām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bubhutsat (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; desiderative participle)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन); desiderative from √budh ‘to wish to know’

• yena: by which
• yena: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun

• kriyā-naipuṇena: by skill in ritual action
• kriyā-naipuṇena: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā + naipuṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); ‘skill (naipuṇa) in action/ritual (kriyā)’

• martyaḥ: a mortal
• martyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• yāyāt: may go/attain
• yāyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); परस्मैपद

• amartyatām: immortality
• amartyatām: Gati-karman (गति-कर्म/Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amartyatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

Characters & Entities

• Śrīpati (Lord of Lakṣmī)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Tantric (Āgamic) worship of the Lord?

It acknowledges that Tantric practitioners worship the Supreme Lord through structured paricaryā (arcana), conceiving His complete form with limbs, ornaments, and weapons according to their authorized traditions.

Who is ‘Śriyaḥ pati’ in the Bhagavatam?

‘Śriyaḥ pati’ means the Lord of Śrī (Lakṣmī)—the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa/Viṣṇu, the source and protector of divine fortune and auspiciousness.

Practical application: How can this verse guide modern devotional practice?

It encourages orderly, reverent worship—keeping the Lord’s form and symbols in mind (or in deity service) with attention to tradition, completeness, and devotion rather than casualness.