Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 16

Brahmā’s Boons, Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Cosmic Tyranny, and Prahlāda’s Transcendental Qualities

Devanagari script

अकृष्टपच्या तस्यासीत् सप्तद्वीपवती मही । तथा कामदुघा गावो नानाश्चर्यपदं नभ: ॥ १६ ॥

Transliteration

akṛṣṭa-pacyā tasyāsīt sapta-dvīpavatī mahī tathā kāma-dughā gāvo nānāścarya-padaṁ nabhaḥ

Translation

Als fürchtete sie Hiraṇyakaśipu, brachte die Erde mit ihren sieben Inseln Getreide hervor, ohne gepflügt zu werden. Ebenso gaben die kāma-dughā-Kühe, gleich der Surabhi, nach Wunsch reichlich Milch, und der Himmel war mit mannigfachen wunderbaren Erscheinungen geschmückt.

Synonyms

• अकृष्ट-पच्या: yielding without ploughing (spontaneously producing crops)
• अकृष्ट-पच्या: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकृष्ट (कृदन्त; √कृष् धातु, क्त; ‘not ploughed’) + पच्या (प्रातिपदिक/विशेषण)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘अकृष्टा च पच्या’ = spontaneously ripening), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); मही इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine/Neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• सप्त-द्वीपवती: having seven continents/islands
• सप्त-द्वीपवती: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + द्वीपवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (‘सप्त द्वीपाः यस्याः’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); मही इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मही: the earth
• मही: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb)

• काम-दुघा: wish-fulfilling (milking desires)
• काम-दुघा: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + दुह्/दुघा (प्रातिपदिक; from √दुह्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘कामान् दुग्धि/दोहति’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); गावः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गावः: cows
• गावः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नाना-अश्चर्य-पदम्: a place of many wonders
• नाना-अश्चर्य-पदम्: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘नानाविधम् आश्चर्यं पदं/स्थानम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); नभः इत्यस्य विशेषण/विधेयम्

• नभः: the sky
• नभः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyakaśipu

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the earth producing crops without ploughing (akṛṣṭa-pacyā)?

This verse says that during Hiraṇyakaśipu’s rule the earth yielded harvests without cultivation—an extraordinary, unnatural prosperity accompanying his dominance.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī describe miracles like wish-fulfilling cows in Hiraṇyakaśipu’s reign?

He highlights how immense material opulence and strange cosmic phenomena can appear even under an asuric ruler, setting the stage for the deeper point that such prosperity is not the same as divine favor or devotion.

What is a practical lesson from this Bhagavatam verse for modern life?

Material abundance and “miraculous” success can exist without spiritual virtue; therefore one should not measure righteousness or God’s pleasure merely by external prosperity.