Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 35

Vidura’s Questions on Devotion and Sarga; Maitreya Begins the Account of Creation

Devanagari script

अनिलेनान्वितं ज्योतिर्विकुर्वत्परवीक्षितम् । आधत्ताम्भो रसमयं कालमायांशयोगत: ॥ ३५ ॥

Transliteration

anilenānvitaṁ jyotir vikurvat paravīkṣitam ādhattāmbho rasa-mayaṁ kāla-māyāṁśa-yogataḥ

Translation

When electricity was surcharged in the air and was glanced over by the Supreme, at that time, by a mixture of eternal time and external energy, there occurred the creation of water and taste.

Synonyms

• anilena: by air
• anilena: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga (Masculine), Tṛtīyā (Instrumental/3rd), Ekavacana

• anvitam: accompanied, endowed
• anvitam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anvita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga (Neuter), Dvitīyā (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of ‘jyotiḥ’

• jyotiḥ: light (fire)
• jyotiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyotis (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga (Neuter), Prathamā (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana

• vikurvat: transforming
• vikurvat: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√kṛ (कृ, धातु) → vikurvat (कृदन्त, present active participle)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga (Neuter), Prathamā (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana; kṛdanta: śatṛ; agrees with ‘jyotiḥ’

• para-vīkṣitam: glanced at by the Supreme
• para-vīkṣitam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + √īkṣ (ईक्ष्, धातु) → vīkṣita (कृदन्त, PPP)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga (Neuter), Prathamā (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana; samāsa: tatpuruṣa ‘pareṇa vīkṣitam’ (glanced at by the Supreme)

• ādatta: placed/produced
• ādatta: Kriyā (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√dhā (धा, धातु)
• Form: Laṅ lakāra (Imperfect/Past), Prathama puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; Parasmaipada

• ambhaḥ: water
• ambhaḥ: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ambhas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga (Neuter), Dvitīyā (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana

• rasa-mayam: consisting of taste
• rasa-mayam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rasa (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga (Neuter), Dvitīyā (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana; samāsa: tatpuruṣa ‘rasena mayam’ (consisting of taste)

• kāla-māyā-aṁśa-yogataḥ: due to the conjunction of time and māyā’s portion
• kāla-māyā-aṁśa-yogataḥ: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + aṁśa (प्रातिपदिक) + yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; Ablative-form adverb (pañcamī-arthī avyaya) from ‘yoga’ with -taḥ: ‘yogataḥ’ = ‘because of/from the conjunction’; samāsa: tatpuruṣa

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Maitreya
• Supreme Lord (Paramātmā/Nārāyaṇa)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the Lord’s glance in creation?

This verse says that material transformation begins only when the luminous principle is activated by the Supreme Lord’s glance, and through time and māyā the next element—water—manifests.

Why is water described as ‘rasamaya’ (made of taste) in Bhagavatam?

Because each element is linked with a dominant sense-quality; here water is identified by rasa (taste), indicating its characteristic property in the elemental evolution.

Practical application of this creation teaching in modern life?

It trains a devotee to see nature as orderly and dependent on the Supreme, reducing ego and fostering reverence, gratitude, and God-centered living.