Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvitiya Skandha, Shloka 5

Puruṣa-sūkta Logic of the Virāṭ: Cosmic Anatomy, Sacrifice, and the Lord’s Transcendence

Devanagari script

रोमाण्युद्भिज्जजातीनां यैर्वा यज्ञस्तु सम्भृत: । केशश्मश्रुनखान्यस्य शिलालोहाभ्रविद्युताम् ॥ ५ ॥

Transliteration

romāṇy udbhijja-jātīnāṁ yair vā yajñas tu sambhṛtaḥ keśa-śmaśru-nakhāny asya śilā-lohābhra-vidyutām

Translation

The hairs on His body are the cause of all vegetation, particularly of those trees which are required as ingredients for sacrifice. The hairs on His head and face are reservoirs for the clouds, and His nails are the breeding ground of electricity, stones and iron ores.

Synonyms

• रोमाणि: hairs (body-hairs)
• रोमाणि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2 विभक्ति), बहुवचन; neuter nominative/accusative plural

• उद्भिज्ज-जातीनाम्: of the plant-born species
• उद्भिज्ज-जातीनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्भिज्ज (प्रातिपदिक) + जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6 विभक्ति), बहुवचन; genitive plural; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (udbhijjānāṁ jātīnām)

• यैः: by which
• यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3 विभक्ति), बहुवचन; instrumental plural (relative pronoun)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात; indeclinable particle expressing alternative

• यज्ञः: sacrifice
• यज्ञः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1 विभक्ति), एकवचन; nominative singular

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात; indeclinable particle (emphasis/contrast)

• सम्भृतः: was gathered/collected
• सम्भृतः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √भृ (धातु) → सम्भृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; agrees with ‘यज्ञः’

• केश-श्मश्रु-नखानि: hair, beard, and nails
• केश-श्मश्रु-नखानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक) + श्मश्रु (प्रातिपदिक) + नख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; itaretara-द्वन्द्व (copulative): ‘hair, beard, and nails’

• अस्य: of him/of this (Person)
• अस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6 विभक्ति), एकवचन; genitive singular

• शिला-लोह-अभ्र-विद्युताम्: of rocks, metals, clouds, and lightning
• शिला-लोह-अभ्र-विद्युताम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला (प्रातिपदिक) + लोह (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्युत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6 विभक्ति), बहुवचन; itaretara-द्वन्द्व; genitive plural: ‘of rocks, metals, clouds, and lightning’

Purport

The polished nails of the Lord generate electricity, and the clouds rest on the hairs of His head. One can therefore collect all sorts of necessities of life from the person of the Lord, and therefore the Vedas affirm that everything that is produced is caused by the Lord. The Lord is the supreme cause of all causes.

Characters & Entities

• Śukadeva Gosvāmī
• Mahārāja Parīkṣit

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the origin of plants and trees?

This verse states that plant life (udbhijja-jāti) arises from the hairs of the Lord’s universal form, showing nature as a transformation of the Divine.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī describe clouds, lightning, and metals as coming from the Lord’s body?

He is teaching Parīkṣit Mahārāja the virāṭ-rūpa vision—everything in the cosmos has its source in Bhagavān, so the world is to be seen in relation to Him.

Practical application of this teaching in modern life?

See nature’s resources—food, metals, and even weather—as sacred gifts meant to be used responsibly and offered in devotion, rather than exploited for egoistic enjoyment.