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Shloka 1

Brahmā Worships Vāmana; the Demons Attack; Bali is Bound and Questioned About the Third Step

Devanagari script

श्रीशुक उवाच सत्यं समीक्ष्याब्जभवो नखेन्दुभि- र्हतस्वधामद्युतिरावृतोऽभ्यगात् । मरीचिमिश्रा ऋषयो बृहद्‌व्रता: सनन्दनाद्या नरदेव योगिन: ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-śuka uvāca satyaṁ samīkṣyābja-bhavo nakhendubhir hata-svadhāma-dyutir āvṛto ’bhyagāt marīci-miśrā ṛṣayo bṛhad-vratāḥ sanandanādyā nara-deva yoginaḥ

Translation

لما تأمّل براهما المولود من اللوتس الحقيقة ورأى أن بهاء مقامه، برهمالوك، قد خفت أمام اللمعان الساطع المنبعث من أظفار قدم فاماناديفا، تقدّم إلى الشخصية الإلهية العليا. وكان معه الحكماء العظام يتقدمهم مريچي، ويوغيون كسنندنة، غير أنهم أمام ذلك النور بدوا ضئيلين.

Synonyms
śrī-śukaḥŚrī Śuka
śrī-śukaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootśrī + śuka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; honorific name; Masculine, Nominative, Singular
uvācasaid
uvāca:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (वच् धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada; ‘said’
satyamtruly
satyam:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeNoun
Rootsatya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; used adverbially ‘truly’; Neuter, Accusative, Singular
samīkṣyahaving observed
samīkṣya:
Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootsam + īkṣ (ईक्ष् धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
Formक्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having observed/considered’
abja-bhavaḥthe lotus-born (Brahmā)
abja-bhavaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootabja + bhava (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘lotus-born’ (Brahmā); Masculine, Nominative, Singular
nakha-indubhiḥby (his) moonlike nails
nakha-indubhiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootnakha + indu (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; ‘by the moonlike nails’; Instrumental, Plural
hata-svadhāma-dyutiḥwith his own splendor dimmed
hata-svadhāma-dyutiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Roothata (gam/han?; हन् धातु kta) + sva + dhāman + dyuti (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: ‘whose own radiance was destroyed’; Masculine, Nominative, Singular
āvṛtaḥcovered
āvṛtaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootā + vṛ (वृ धातु) + kta (क्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘covered/veiled’
abhyagātapproached
abhyagāt:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootabhi + gam (गम् धातु)
Formलङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada; ‘approached/went’
marīci-miśrāḥaccompanied by Marīci (etc.)
marīci-miśrāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootmarīci + miśra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘with Marīci (and others)’; Masculine, Nominative, Plural
ṛṣayaḥsages
ṛṣayaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural
bṛhad-vratāḥof great vows
bṛhad-vratāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootbṛhat + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘of great vows’; Masculine, Nominative, Plural
sanandana-ādyāḥbeginning with Sanandana
sanandana-ādyāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootsanandana + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘beginning with Sanandana’; Masculine, Nominative, Plural
nara-devaO king
nara-deva:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootnara + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा, एकवचन; here used as संबोधन (vocative) addressing the king; Masculine, Vocative, Singular
yoginaḥyogīs
yoginaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyogin (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural
Characters & Entities
Ś
Śukadeva Gosvāmī
B
Brahmā (Abjabhava)
M
Marīci
S
Sanandana (Kumāra)
K
King Parīkṣit (Naradeva)

FAQs

This verse shows Brahmā approaching after realizing the truth, and even his own brilliance is eclipsed by the Lord’s splendor—highlighting Brahmā’s reverence and the Lord’s supreme position.

They represent exalted categories of Vedic authorities—Prajāpati sages and renounced yogīs—who accompany Brahmā to witness and honor the Lord’s actions in the unfolding narrative.

By cultivating humility and truth-seeking: even the greatest beings approach God with reverence, so a practitioner can approach prayer, study, and service with the same mood of surrender.

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