Shloka 16

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

Devanagari script

स विश्वजन्मस्थितिसंयमार्थे कृतावतार: प्रगृहीतशक्ति: । चकार कर्माण्यतिपूरुषाणि यानीश्वर: कीर्तय तानि मह्यम् ॥ १६ ॥

Transliteration

sa viśva-janma-sthiti-saṁyamārthe kṛtāvatāraḥ pragṛhīta-śaktiḥ cakāra karmāṇy atipūruṣāṇi yānīśvaraḥ kīrtaya tāni mahyam

Translation

Please chant for me all those superhuman, transcendental deeds of the Supreme Controller, Bhagavān, who descends in avatāras endowed with full potency to manifest, sustain, and govern the cosmic creation.

Synonyms

• सः: He
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विश्व-जन्म-स्थिति-संयम-अर्थे: for the purpose of the universe’s creation, maintenance, and restraint
• विश्व-जन्म-स्थिति-संयम-अर्थे: प्रयोजन-अधिकरण (Purpose/Adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक) + संयम (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला; ‘विश्वस्य जन्म-स्थिति-संयमानाम् अर्थे’ इति; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (अर्थे = Locative ‘for the purpose of’)

• कृत-अवतारः: one who has assumed an incarnation
• कृत-अवतारः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ + क्त) + अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (‘कृतः अवतारः येन’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रगृहीत-शक्तिः: whose power is fully assumed/manifest
• प्रगृहीत-शक्तिः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र+√ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (‘प्रगृहीता शक्तिः यस्य’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चकार: did/performed
• चकार: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कर्माणि: deeds
• कर्माणि: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अति-पूुरुषाणि: superhuman
• अति-पूुरुषाणि: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + पूरुष (प्रातिपदिक; ‘पुरुष’/‘पौरुष’ भाव)
• Form: कर्मधारय/उपपद-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘कर्माणि’ इति विशेषणम्

• यानि: which (deeds)
• यानि: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative)

• ईश्वरः: the Lord
• ईश्वरः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कीर्तय: narrate/glorify
• कीर्तय: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तानि: those
• तानि: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• मह्यम्: to me
• मह्यम्: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन; ‘to me’

Purport

Vidura was undoubtedly very eager to hear about Lord Kṛṣṇa in particular, but he was overwhelmed because Lord Kṛṣṇa had just passed away from the visible world. He therefore wanted to hear about Him in His puruṣa incarnations, which He manifests with full potencies for the creation and maintenance of the cosmic world. The activities of the puruṣa incarnations are but an extension of the activities of the Lord. This hint was given by Vidura to Maitreya because Maitreya could not decide which part of the activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa should he chanted.

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Maitreya
• Īśvara (the Supreme Lord)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about why the Lord descends (avatara)?

This verse states that the Lord descends for the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and dissolution, taking up His own divine potency and performing extraordinary deeds worthy of glorification.

Why did Vidura ask Maitreya to narrate the Lord’s deeds?

In the dialogue of Canto 3, Vidura approaches the sage Maitreya to understand the Lord’s divine activities and cosmic purpose; here he specifically requests narration of the Lord’s transcendent acts connected with the universe’s origin and regulation.

Practical application of glorifying the Lord’s deeds in modern life?

Regularly hearing and speaking about the Lord’s divine acts builds devotion, steadies the mind amid change, and helps one see life’s events within a larger spiritual order governed by the Supreme.