Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 5
Prāyaścitta, the ‘Elephant Bath’ Problem, and the Opening of Ajāmila-Upākhyāna
प्रियव्रतोत्तानपदोर्वंशस्तच्चरितानि च । द्वीपवर्षसमुद्राद्रिनद्युद्यानवनस्पतीन् ॥ ४ ॥ धरामण्डलसंस्थानं भागलक्षणमानत: । ज्योतिषां विवराणां च यथेदमसृजद्विभु: ॥ ५ ॥
priyavratottānapador vaṁśas tac-caritāni ca dvīpa-varṣa-samudrādri- nady-udyāna-vanaspatīn
My dear lord, you have described the dynasties and characteristics of King Priyavrata and King Uttānapāda. The Supreme Personality of Godhead created this material world with various universes, planetary systems, planets and stars, with varied lands, seas, oceans, mountains, rivers, gardens and trees, all with different characteristics. These are divided among this planet earth, the luminaries in the sky and the lower planetary systems. You have very clearly described these planets and the living entities who live on them.
Here the words yathedam asṛjad vibhuḥ clearly indicate that the Supreme, the great, almighty Personality of Godhead, created this entire material world with its different varieties of planets, stars and so forth. Atheists try to conceal the hand of God, which is present in every creation, but they cannot explain how all these creations could come into existence without a competent intelligence and almighty power behind them. Simply to imagine or speculate is a waste of time. In Bhagavad-gītā (10.8) , the Lord says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo: “I am the origin of everything.” Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: “Whatever exists in the creation emanates from Me.” Iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ: “When one fully understands that I create everything by My omnipotence, one becomes firmly situated in devotional service and fully surrenders at My lotus feet.” Unfortunately, the unintelligent cannot immediately understand Kṛṣṇa’s supremacy. Nonetheless, if they associate with devotees and read authorized books, they may gradually come to the proper understanding, although this may take many, many births. As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (7.19) :
FAQs
This verse asks for an account of the earth’s arrangement (divisions, features, measurements) and the paths and interspaces of the luminaries (sun, moon, planets), as they were created by the Supreme Lord.
Parīkṣit requests the dynastic histories connected to Priyavrata and Uttānapāda and, along with them, a broader description of the Lord’s cosmic arrangement—linking sacred genealogy with the Lord’s ordered creation.
It encourages a devotional way of learning: to study history and the world’s order as meaningful, purposeful creation, fostering humility and God-centered understanding rather than mere curiosity.