Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 23

Transmission of Bhāgavata Wisdom and Brahmā’s Vision of the Supreme Lord on Ananta

Devanagari script

मृणालगौरायतशेषभोग- पर्यङ्क एकं पुरुषं शयानम् । फणातपत्रायुतमूर्धरत्न- द्युभिर्हतध्वान्तयुगान्ततोये ॥ २३ ॥

Transliteration

mṛṇāla-gaurāyata-śeṣa-bhoga- paryaṅka ekaṁ puruṣaṁ śayānam phaṇātapatrāyuta-mūrdha-ratna- dyubhir hata-dhvānta-yugānta-toye

Translation

Brahmā could see that on the water there was a gigantic lotuslike white bedstead, the body of Śeṣa-nāga, on which the Personality of Godhead was lying alone. The whole atmosphere was illuminated by the rays of the jewels bedecking the hood of Śeṣa-nāga, and that illumination dissipated all the darkness of those regions.

Synonyms

• मृणाल-गौर-आयत-शेष-भोग-पर्यङ्के: on the couch of Śeṣa’s long, lotus-fiber-white coils
• मृणाल-गौर-आयत-शेष-भोग-पर्यङ्के: अधिकरण (Adhikarana/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृणाल (प्रातिपदिक) + गौर (प्रातिपदिक) + आयत (√यम्, धातु; क्त) + शेष (प्रातिपदिक) + भोग (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्यङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास: ‘शेषस्य भोगः’ (coils of Śeṣa) = couch; with qualifiers ‘मृणाल-गौर’ (lotus-fiber-white) and ‘आयत’ (extended); पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of पुरुषम्

• पुरुषम्: the Person (Supreme)
• पुरुषम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शयानम्: lying (reclining)
• शयानम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शी (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present middle participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; agrees with पुरुषम्

• फण-आतपत्र-आयुत-मूर्ध-रत्न-द्युभिः: by the radiances of the myriad hood-gems (forming a parasol)
• फण-आतपत्र-आयुत-मूर्ध-रत्न-द्युभिः: करण (Karana/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फण (प्रातिपदिक) + आतपत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुत (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक) + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + द्यु/द्युत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास: ‘फणाः एव आतपत्रम्’ (hoods as parasol), ‘आयुत’ (ten-thousand), ‘मूर्ध्नि रत्नानि’ (gems on heads), ‘रत्नानां द्युभिः’ (by the radiances); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्युति/द्यु), तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• हत-ध्वान्त-युगान्त-तोये: in the end-of-age waters with darkness dispelled
• हत-ध्वान्त-युगान्त-तोये: अधिकरण (Adhikarana/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हत (√हन्, धातु; क्त) + ध्वान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + युगान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष ‘युगान्तस्य तोयम्’ (waters of dissolution) with qualifier ‘हत-ध्वान्त’ (darkness-dispelled); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Characters & Entities

• Śeṣa (Ananta)
• Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu (Puruṣa)

FAQs

Who is the Supreme Person described as lying on Ananta Śeṣa in Bhagavatam 3.8.23?

The verse describes Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, the Puruṣa-avatāra, reclining on the coils of Ananta Śeṣa upon the cosmic waters at the end of the age.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī describe the jewels on Śeṣa’s hoods dispelling darkness?

To convey the Lord’s transcendental majesty: even in the gloom of dissolution, the divine radiance associated with the Lord and His eternal servant Śeṣa removes all darkness.

How can this verse be applied in modern life for bhakti practice?

It teaches remembrance of Viṣṇu as the ultimate shelter beyond cosmic upheaval—cultivate steadiness by hearing, chanting, and meditating on the Lord’s form as the refuge in all conditions.