Shloka 1

Avatāra-kathā — The Puruṣa, the Many Incarnations, and Kṛṣṇa as Svayam Bhagavān

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच जगृहे पौरुषं रूपं भगवान्महदादिभि: । सम्भूतं षोडशकलमादौ लोकसिसृक्षया ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

sūta uvāca jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpaṁ bhagavān mahad-ādibhiḥ sambhūtaṁ ṣoḍaśa-kalam ādau loka-sisṛkṣayā

Translation

Sūta sprach: Zu Beginn der Schöpfung, um die Universen hervorzubringen, nahm der Bhagavān die Puruṣa-Gestalt an, die zusammen mit dem mahat-tattva und weiteren Elementen erschien und aus sechzehn Prinzipien materiellen Wirkens besteht.

Synonyms

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (वच् व्यक्तायां वाचि)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• जगृहे: accepted/assumed
• जगृहे: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (ग्रह् उपादाने)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पौरुषम्: cosmic/person-like (Puruṣa)
• पौरुषम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महत्-आदिभिः: with/along with Mahat etc. (the evolutes)
• महत्-आदिभिः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत्+आदि (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’ = etc.

• सम्भूतम्: arisen/produced
• सम्भूतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्भूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भू (भू सत्तायाम्) + सम् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकालिक-कृदन्त; रूपम् इति विशेषण

• षोडशकलम्: having sixteen parts
• षोडशकलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश+कल (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास; ‘having sixteen parts’

• आदौ: at first/in the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial locative usage), ‘in the beginning’

• लोकसिसृक्षया: for the desire to create the worlds
• लोकसिसृक्षया: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक+सिसृक्षा (प्रातिपदिक; desiderative noun from √सृज्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; हेतौ तृतीया (instrumental of purpose)

Purport

The Bhagavad-gītā states that the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, maintains these material universes by extending His plenary expansions. So this puruṣa form is the confirmation of the same principle. The original Personality of Godhead Vāsudeva, or Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is famous as the son of King Vasudeva or King Nanda, is full with all opulences, all potencies, all fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation. A part of His opulence is manifested as impersonal Brahman, and a part of His opulence is manifested as Paramātmā. This puruṣa feature of the same Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is the original Paramātmā manifestation of the Lord. There are three puruṣa features in the material creation, and this form, who is known as the Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, is the first of the three. The others are known as the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, which we shall know one after another. The innumerable universes are generated from the skin holes of this Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and in each one of the universes the Lord enters as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu.

Characters & Entities

• Suta Gosvami
• Bhagavan (the Supreme Lord)
• Purusha

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about the Purusha form at the start of creation?

This verse states that the Supreme Lord assumes the Puruṣa (cosmic) form in the beginning, accompanying the mahat-tattva and other principles, in order to create the worlds.

Who is speaking Bhagavatam 1.3.1 and to whom is it spoken?

Sūta Gosvāmī speaks this verse to the sages assembled at Naimiṣāraṇya, describing the Lord’s initial creative expansion.

How can the teaching of Bhagavatam 1.3.1 be applied in modern life?

It encourages seeing the universe as purposeful and divine in origin, fostering humility, gratitude, and devotion by recognizing a conscious Supreme source behind creation.