Devi Bhagavatam 4.21.22 — Devi as Supreme Shakti, Skandha 4, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 22

The Description of the Killing of Devaki's First Son by Kamsa

Devanagari script

बहुजन्मसमुत्थानि काले तिष्ठन्ति सर्वथा । पूर्वदेहं परित्यज्य जीवः कर्मवशानुगः

Transliteration

bahujanmasamutthāni kāle tiṣṭhanti sarvathā | pūrvadehaṃ parityajya jīvaḥ karmavaśānugaḥ

Translation

...die aus vielen Geburten hervorgehen, bleiben in der Zeit bewahrt. Den vorherigen Körper verlassend, die Seele, gebunden durch ihr Karma...

Word by Word

• bahujanmasamutthāni: arisen from many births
• bahujanmasamutthāni: Kartṛ
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahujanmasamuttha
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• kāle: in time
• kāle: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• tiṣṭhanti: they stay
• tiṣṭhanti: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā
• Form: Lat, Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Plural

• sarvathā: in every way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvathā
• Form: Adverb

• pūrvadeham: previous body
• pūrvadeham: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrvadeha
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• parityajya: having abandoned
• parityajya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pari-tyaj
• Form: Lyap Pratyaya

• jīvaḥ: the soul
• jīvaḥ: Kartṛ
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• karmavaśānugaḥ: following the influence of karma
• karmavaśānugaḥ: Kartṛ
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karmavaśānuga
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Vasudeva

Shakti Theology

Devi Form: null

Mahavidya Connection: null

Shakti Manifestation: null

Tattva Discussed: Jiva

Devi Narrative

Demon Antagonist: null

Devi Weapon Used: null

Narrative Source: null

Story Arc Position: null

Tantra Dimension

Mantra Referenced: null

Yantra Referenced: null

Kundalini Element: null

Chakra Referenced: null

Tantric Practice Type: null

Bhakti & Stuti

Stuti Type: null

Recitation Occasion: null

Phala Shruti: null

Devotee Offering Stuti: null

Cosmic Feminine

Maya Aspect: null

Creation Role: null

Shakti Philosophy: null

Relation To Brahman: null

Vyasa-Janamejaya Dialogue

Narrator: Vyasa

Listener: Janamejaya

Dialogue Context: Journey of the Jiva

Narrative Layer: embedded

Ritual Context

Text: None

Philosophical Significance

Text: Explains the mechanics of Samsara. The physical body dies, but the karmic imprint is eternal until exhausted or destroyed by knowledge.

Characters & Entities

• Jiva
• Karma

FAQs

What happens to the karmas from past lives?

They are preserved perfectly within Time (Kala) and do not disappear even when the physical body dies.

What forces the soul to move to a new body?

The soul (Jiva) is 'karmavashanugah'—completely bound and driven by its accumulated karma, which forces it to leave the old body and seek a new one.