Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 1

The Appearance of Vāmanadeva and His Arrival at Bali’s Sacrifice

Devanagari script

श्रीशुक उवाच इत्थं विरिञ्चस्तुतकर्मवीर्य: प्रादुर्बभूवामृतभूरदित्याम् । चतुर्भुज: शङ्खगदाब्जचक्र: पिशङ्गवासा नलिनायतेक्षण: ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-śuka uvāca itthaṁ viriñca-stuta-karma-vīryaḥ prādurbabhūvāmṛta-bhūr adityām catur-bhujaḥ śaṅkha-gadābja-cakraḥ piśaṅga-vāsā nalināyatekṣaṇaḥ

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī dit : Après que Brahmā eut ainsi glorifié les actes et la vaillance du Seigneur suprême, la Personnalité Suprême, de nature immortelle, apparut du sein d’Aditi. Il avait quatre bras, portant conque, massue, lotus et disque; vêtu de jaune, et ses yeux étaient tels des pétales de lotus épanouis.

Synonyms

• श्री-शुकः: Śrī Śuka
• श्री-शुकः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; वक्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + शुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (Nominative Singular); कर्मधारय-समास (honorific epithet)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: thus/in this manner)

• विरिञ्च-स्तुत-कर्म-वीर्यः: whose deeds and prowess are praised by Brahmā
• विरिञ्च-स्तुत-कर्म-वीर्यः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरिञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तुत (स्तु धातु, क्त कृदन्त) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (Nominative Singular); यस्य कर्म-वीर्यं विरिञ्चेन स्तुतम् (whose deeds and prowess are praised by Brahmā)

• प्रादुः: manifestly, forth
• प्रादुः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रादुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: manifest/into view)

• बभूव: appeared/became
• बभूव: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• अमृत-भूः: the source of nectar (the Lord)
• अमृत-भूः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; with बभूव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अमृतस्य भूः = source of nectar), पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (Nominative Singular)

• अदित्याम्: in Aditi (from Aditi)
• अदित्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location; in Aditi)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन, सप्तमी (Locative Singular)

• चतुर्भुजः: four-armed
• चतुर्भुजः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (four-armed), पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (Nominative Singular)

• शङ्ख-गदा-अब्ज-चक्रः: bearing conch, mace, lotus, and discus
• शङ्ख-गदा-अब्ज-चक्रः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक) + गदा (प्रातिपदिक) + अब्ज (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (Nominative Singular); यस्य शङ्ख-गदा-अब्ज-चक्राणि (who bears conch, mace, lotus, discus)

• पिशङ्ग-वासा: wearing yellow garments
• पिशङ्ग-वासा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिशङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + वासस्/वासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (Nominative Singular); यस्य वासः पिशङ्गम् (whose garment is yellowish)

• नलिन-आयत-ईक्षणः: lotus-like long-eyed
• नलिन-आयत-ईक्षणः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नलिन (प्रातिपदिक) + आयत (अय्/या धातु, क्त कृदन्त; 'elongated') + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (Nominative Singular); यस्य ईक्षणे नलिनवत् आयते (whose eyes are long like lotuses)

Purport

The word amṛta-bhūḥ is significant in this verse. The Lord sometimes appears like an ordinary child taking birth, but this does not mean that He is subject to birth, death or old age. One must be very intelligent to understand the appearance and activities of the Supreme Lord in His incarnations. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9) : janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ. One should try to understand that the Lord’s appearance and disappearance and His activities are all divyam, or transcendental. The Lord has nothing to do with material activities. One who understands the appearance, disappearance and activities of the Lord is immediately liberated. After giving up his body, he never again has to accept a material body, but is transferred to the spiritual world ( tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna ).

Characters & Entities

• Śukadeva
• Brahmā (Viriñca)
• Aditi
• The Supreme Lord (Vāmana/Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the appearance of Vāmana in Canto 8?

This verse states that the Lord manifested from Aditi after Brahmā praised His deeds and power, appearing in a four-armed Viṣṇu form with conch, club, lotus, and discus.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī mention Brahmā’s praise in this verse?

It indicates that the Lord’s descent is purposeful and divinely sanctioned—responding to the cosmic situation and the prayers/praise of exalted beings like Brahmā.

Practical application of remembering the Lord’s form and symbols in modern life?

Meditating on the Lord’s compassionate descent and His auspicious attributes strengthens faith, steadies the mind in difficulty, and supports daily devotion through remembrance (smaraṇa).