Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 21
Brahmā’s Day, the Four Pralayas, and the Supreme Shelter Beyond Cause–Effect
Devanagari script
न यत्र वाचो न मनो न सत्त्वं तमो रजो वा महदादयोऽमी । न प्राणबुद्धीन्द्रियदेवता वा न सन्निवेश: खलु लोककल्प: ॥ २० ॥ न स्वप्नजाग्रन्न च तत् सुषुप्तं न खं जलं भूरनिलोऽग्निरर्क: । संसुप्तवच्छून्यवदप्रतर्क्यं तन्मूलभूतं पदमामनन्ति ॥ २१ ॥
Transliteration
na yatra vāco na mano na sattvaṁ tamo rajo vā mahad-ādayo ’mī na prāṇa-buddhīndriya-devatā vā na sanniveśaḥ khalu loka-kalpaḥ
Translation
Im avyakta des pradhāna gibt es weder Traum noch Wachen noch Tiefschlaf; es gibt weder Äther noch Wasser, Erde, Luft, Feuer oder Sonne. Es ist wie völliger Schlaf oder Leere, jenseits von Wort und Denken; dennoch sagen die Kenner des tattva, pradhāna sei die Wurzelsubstanz und das Fundament der materiellen Schöpfung.
Synonyms
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)
yatrawhere
yatra:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyatra (अव्यय)
Formदेशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: where)
vācaḥwords, speech
vācaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootvāc (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (Nominative plural)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय
manaḥmind
manaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootmanas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय
sattvamsattva (quality of goodness)
sattvam:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootsattva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom/Acc sg; here as subject in negation list)
tamaḥtamas (darkness/quality of inertia)
tamaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Roottamas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom/Acc sg; here as subject in list)
rajaḥrajas (quality of activity)
rajaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootrajas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom/Acc sg; here as subject in list)
vāor
vā:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)
mahat-ādayaḥmahat and the rest (tattvas)
mahat-ādayaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootmahat (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (Nom pl); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/समाहारार्थ: ‘महद्-आदि’ = beginning with mahat
amīthese
amī:
Karta (कर्ता/subject; apposition)
TypeNoun
Rootadas (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (Nom pl; demonstrative pronoun)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय
prāṇa-buddhi-indriya-devatāḥvital airs, intellect, senses, and deities
prāṇa-buddhi-indriya-devatāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootprāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + buddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक) + devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (Nom pl); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative): prāṇas, intellects, senses, and deities
vāor
vā:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक-अव्यय
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय
sanniveśaḥarrangement, configuration
sanniveśaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootsanniveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg)
khaluindeed
khalu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkhalu (अव्यय)
Formनिश्चयार्थक/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (indeed, surely)
loka-kalpaḥworld-structure/creation-order
loka-kalpaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootloka (प्रातिपदिक) + kalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘लोकस्य कल्पः’ (the formation/order of the world)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय
svapna-jāgratdream and waking
svapna-jāgrat:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootsvapna (प्रातिपदिक) + jāgrat (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom/Acc sg); द्वन्द्व: dream and waking (states)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: and)
tatthat
tat:
Karta (कर्ता/subject; apposition)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom/Acc sg; demonstrative)
suṣuptamdeep sleep
suṣuptam:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootsuṣupta (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom/Acc sg; state of deep sleep)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय
khamether/space
kham:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootkha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom/Acc sg)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय
jalamwater
jalam:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootjala (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom/Acc sg)
bhūḥearth
bhūḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootbhū (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg)
anilaḥwind
anilaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootanila (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg)
agniḥfire
agniḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootagni (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg)
arkaḥsun
arkaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootarka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg)
saṁsuptavatas if asleep
saṁsuptavat:
Visheshana (विशेषण/adjectival)
TypeAdjective
Rootsaṁsupta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + vat (प्रत्यय)
Formअव्ययवत्-प्रयोग/तुल्यतार्थक ‘-वत्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (agreeing with padam)
śūnyavatas if void
śūnyavat:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootśūnya (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (प्रत्यय)
Formतुल्यतार्थक ‘-वत्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (agreeing with padam)
apratarkyaminconceivable, beyond reasoning
apratarkyam:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Roota-pratarkya (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-पूर्वक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom/Acc sg; agreeing with padam)
tat-mūla-bhūtamthat which is the root (of all)
tat-mūla-bhūtam:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + mūla (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (कृदन्त; भू धातु, क्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘तस्य मूलं भूतम्’ / ‘that as the root/origin’ (agreeing with padam)
padamstate, abode, position
padam:
Karma (कर्म/object)
TypeNoun
Rootpada (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc sg)
āmanantithey declare, they call
āmananti:
Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootā-√man (मन् धातु)
Formलट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Present indicative, 3rd pl); परस्मैपद
Characters & Entities
Ś
Śukadeva GosvāmīM
Mahārāja ParīkṣitFAQs
It describes an ultimate reality (padam) that is not any of the three states of consciousness and not composed of the material elements; it is the root source and is beyond speculative reasoning.
To indicate that it is free from material distinctions and mental constructions—appearing blank to ordinary perception—yet it is the original foundation of all existence.
Reduce over-identification with changing mental states and material categories; cultivate steady bhakti and contemplative hearing so the mind turns toward the transcendental source beyond speculation.