Shloka 13

Brahmā’s Day, the Four Pralayas, and the Supreme Shelter Beyond Cause–Effect

Devanagari script

तत एकोदकं विश्वं ब्रह्माण्डविवरान्तरम् ॥ १३ ॥

Transliteration

tata ekodakaṁ viśvaṁ brahmāṇḍa-vivarāntaram

Translation

عندئذٍ يمتلئ جوفُ قِشرةِ الكون بالماء، فيصير العالمُ كلُّه محيطًا كونيًّا واحدًا.

Synonyms

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक

• एक-उदकम्: consisting of a single expanse of water
• एक-उदकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: 'एकम् उदकम्' = 'all water/one mass of water'

• विश्वम्: the universe
• विश्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (subject)

• ब्रह्माण्ड-विवर-अन्तरम्: the interior within the apertures of the cosmic egg
• ब्रह्माण्ड-विवर-अन्तरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'ब्रह्माण्डस्य विवराणाम् अन्तरम्' = 'the interior within the openings of the cosmic shell'

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about pralaya (universal dissolution)?

This verse depicts dissolution as the universe becoming a single body of water, inundating the interior of the brahmāṇḍa—showing the complete withdrawal of manifested forms.

Why did Śukadeva Gosvāmī describe cosmic dissolution to King Parīkṣit?

Śukadeva teaches Parīkṣit detachment and urgency for bhakti by showing that even the vast universe is temporary and can be submerged at pralaya.

Practical application of pralaya teachings in modern life?

Remembering the impermanence of all material arrangements helps one reduce anxiety and prioritize devotion, character, and steady spiritual practice.