Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 25

Aditi’s Payo-vrata and Viṣṇu’s Promise to Appear as Her Son

Prelude to Vāmana

Devanagari script

श्रीब्रह्मोवाच जयोरुगाय भगवन्नुरुक्रम नमोऽस्तु ते । नमो ब्रह्मण्यदेवाय त्रिगुणाय नमो नम: ॥ २५ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-brahmovāca jayorugāya bhagavann urukrama namo ’stu te namo brahmaṇya-devāya tri-guṇāya namo namaḥ

Translation

Le Seigneur Brahmā dit : Gloire à Toi, ô Bhagavān largement célébré, ô Uru-krama aux actes incomparables ! Je T’offre mes hommages. Ô Dieu protecteur des brāhmaṇas, maître des trois guṇas, je me prosterne encore et encore devant Toi.

Synonyms

• śrī-brahmā: the revered Brahmā
• śrī-brahmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); karmadhāraya: śrīmān brahmā (श्रीमान् ब्रह्मा)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• jaya: victory (to you)!
• jaya: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन); used as benedictive address

• urugāya: to the widely sung/praised one
• urugāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uru (प्रातिपदिक) + gāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (चतुर्थी/4), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: uru gāyate yasya / uru-gāya (उरुगाय)

• bhagavan: O Lord
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन)

• urukrama: O wide-striding one
• urukrama: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uru (प्रातिपदिक) + krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: uruḥ kramaḥ yasya (उरुक्रम)

• namaḥ: obeisance
• namaḥ: Sambandha/Discourse marker (सम्बन्ध/नमस्कार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Indeclinable interjection (अव्यय, नमस्कारार्थक)

• astu: let it be
• astu: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Dative (चतुर्थी/4), Singular (एकवचन)

• namaḥ: obeisance
• namaḥ: Sambandha/Discourse marker (सम्बन्ध/नमस्कार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Indeclinable interjection (अव्यय, नमस्कारार्थक)

• brahmaṇya-devāya: to the god devoted to brāhmaṇas/dharma
• brahmaṇya-devāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmaṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (चतुर्थी/4), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: brahmaṇyeṣu (brāhmaṇeṣu) hitaḥ devaḥ (ब्रह्मण्यदेवः)

• tri-guṇāya: to the three-guṇas one / to the one of three qualities
• tri-guṇāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (चतुर्थी/4), Singular (एकवचन); dvigu: trayo guṇāḥ yasya / triguna (त्रिगुण)

• namaḥ: obeisance
• namaḥ: Sambandha/Discourse marker (सम्बन्ध/नमस्कार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Indeclinable interjection (अव्यय, नमस्कारार्थक)

• namaḥ: again obeisance
• namaḥ: Sambandha/Discourse marker (सम्बन्ध/नमस्कार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Indeclinable interjection (अव्यय, नमस्कारार्थक)

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Bhagavān (Vāmana/Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam mean by the name 'Urukrama'?

In this verse Brahmā addresses the Lord as Urukrama—“He of great strides,” highlighting the Lord’s extraordinary, universe-spanning actions, especially resonant with Vāmana’s divine steps.

Why does Brahmā offer obeisances to the Lord as 'Brahmaṇya-deva'?

Brahmā glorifies the Lord as brahmaṇya-deva because the Lord protects brāhmaṇas, Vedic knowledge, and dharma—showing that divine rule safeguards spiritual culture.

How can this shloka be applied in modern devotional life?

It teaches a simple practice: offer respectful praise and surrender to God’s supremacy, remember His protection of dharma, and see Him as above material qualities even while He governs the world.