Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 30

Vidura’s Questions on Devotion and Sarga; Maitreya Begins the Account of Creation

Devanagari script

अहंतत्त्वाद्विकुर्वाणान्मनो वैकारिकादभूत् । वैकारिकाश्च ये देवा अर्थाभिव्यञ्जनं यत: ॥ ३० ॥

Transliteration

ahaṁ-tattvād vikurvāṇān mano vaikārikād abhūt vaikārikāś ca ye devā arthābhivyañjanaṁ yataḥ

Translation

Wenn sich das falsche Ego im Kontakt mit der Guṇa der Güte wandelt, entsteht der vaikarika-Geist (manas). Auch die Devas, die die Erscheinungswelt lenken und die Gegenstände zur Erscheinung bringen, gehen aus demselben vaikarika-Prinzip hervor.

Synonyms

• ahaṁ-tattvāt: from the ego-principle
• ahaṁ-tattvāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aham (सर्वनाम/अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) + tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘अहं-भावस्य तत्त्वम्’

• vikurvāṇāt: from (it) transforming
• vikurvāṇāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: शानच् (present middle participle), आत्मनेपद; पञ्चमी, एकवचन; ‘विकुर्वतः’

• manaḥ: mind
• manaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• vaikārikāt: from the sāttvika (vaikārika) (aspect)
• vaikārikāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaikārika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन; विशेषण—(from) sāttvika aspect

• abhūt: came to be
• abhūt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• vaikārikāḥ: sāttvika (beings)
• vaikārikāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaikārika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• artha-abhivyañjanam: manifestation of objects
• artha-abhivyañjanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक) + abhivyañjana (प्रातिपदिक; from abhi+√vyañj)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘अर्थानाम् अभिव्यञ्जनम्’ (manifestation of objects/meanings)

• yataḥ: from which / because of which
• yataḥ: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थे (causal ‘because/from which’)

Purport

False ego interacting with the different modes of material nature is the source of all materials in the phenomenal world.

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Maitreya

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about the origin of the mind?

This verse says the mind is produced from the transformation of false ego in the mode of goodness (vaikārika/sāttvika ahaṅkāra).

Who are the 'vaikārika devāḥ' mentioned in Bhagavatam 3.5.30?

They are the presiding demigods connected with the senses, arising from sāttvika false ego and enabling the expression and recognition of sense-objects.

Practical application: how does knowing the mind’s origin help spiritual life?

It reminds a seeker that mind and sense-perception are products of material nature; by cultivating sāttvika discipline and bhakti, one can regulate the mind rather than be ruled by it.