Shloka 13

Manvantara Enumerations Begin: Svāyambhuva’s Austerity, Yajñapati’s Protection, and the Avatāras up to Hari

Gajendra Prelude

Devanagari script

स विश्वकाय: पुरुहूत ईश: सत्य: स्वयंज्योतिरज: पुराण: । धत्तेऽस्य जन्माद्यजयात्मशक्त्या तां विद्ययोदस्य निरीह आस्ते ॥ १३ ॥

Transliteration

sa viśva-kāyaḥ puru-hūta-īśaḥ satyaḥ svayaṁ-jyotir ajaḥ purāṇaḥ dhatte ’sya janmādy-ajayātma-śaktyā tāṁ vidyayodasya nirīha āste

Translation

He is the Supreme Lord, invoked by countless names, and the entire cosmos is His body. He is Truth itself—self-effulgent, unborn, and primeval. By His unconquerable inner potency He, through the external energy, makes the universe appear to be created, maintained, and dissolved; yet by divine knowledge He casts off māyā and remains untouched, serene in His spiritual energy.

Synonyms

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विश्वकायः: whose body is the universe
• विश्वकायः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य कायः)

• पुरुहूतईशः: lord of the much-invoked (gods)/much-invoked lord
• पुरुहूतईशः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुहूत (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुरुहूतानाम् ईशः)

• सत्यः: true
• सत्यः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वयंज्योतिः: self-luminous
• स्वयंज्योतिः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय) + ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; अव्ययीभावः (स्वयम् ज्योतिः)

• अजः: unborn
• अजः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुराणः: ancient
• पुराणः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धत्ते: sustains/holds
• धत्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada

• अस्य: of this (universe)
• अस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन — Genitive, Singular

• जन्मादि: birth and so on (creation etc.)
• जन्मादि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; समाहार-तत्पुरुषः (जन्म च आदि च → ‘birth etc.’)

• अजया-आत्म-शक्त्या: by (His) unborn intrinsic power
• अजया-आत्म-शक्त्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक) + या (स्त्री-प्रत्यय/प्रातिपदिक) ; आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन — Feminine, Instrumental, Singular; समासः: (अजया) + (आत्मशक्त्या); आत्मशक्ति = षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आत्मनः शक्तिः)

• ताम्: that (power)
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• विद्यया: by knowledge
• विद्यया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन — Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• उदस्य: having cast off/removed
• उदस्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-स्यन्द्/उद्-अस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) — having cast off/removed; (√अस्/स्यन्द् with उद्-; usage: ‘उदस्य’ = ‘उत्सृज्य/अपहाय’)

• निरीहः: effortless/without striving
• निरीहः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरीह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आस्ते: remains/abides
• आस्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada

Purport

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says in His Śikṣāṣṭaka, nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ: the Supreme Personality of Godhead has many names, which are all nondifferent from the Supreme Person. This is spiritual existence. By chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, consisting of names of the Supreme Lord, we find that the name has all the potencies of the person. The Lord’s activities are many, and according to His activities He has many names. He appeared as the son of mother Yaśodā, and also as the son of mother Devakī, and therefore He is named Devakī-nandana and Yaśodā-nandana. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate: the Lord has a multitude of energies, and therefore He acts in multifarious ways. Yet He has a particular name. The śāstras recommend which names we should chant, such as Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. It is not that we have to search for some name or manufacture one. Rather, we must follow the saintly persons and the śāstras in chanting His holy name.

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about God being unborn and self-effulgent (aja, svayam-jyoti)?

This verse describes the Supreme Lord as aja (unborn) and svayam-jyoti (self-effulgent), meaning His existence and radiance are intrinsic and not produced by any external cause.

How can the Lord create and maintain the universe yet remain actionless (nirīha)?

The verse explains that the Lord sustains creation, maintenance, and dissolution through His unconquerable internal potency (ātma-śakti), while personally remaining detached and uninvolved, established in perfect knowledge (vidyā).

Practical application: How does this teaching help in modern life?

It encourages responsible action without ego and attachment—recognizing a higher controller—so one can work steadily while cultivating inner detachment and spiritual clarity.