Shloka 23

Kāla-vibhāga: The Divisions of Time from Atom to Brahmā, and the Lord Beyond Time

Devanagari script

निशावसान आरब्धो लोककल्पोऽनुवर्तते । यावद्दिनं भगवतो मनून् भुञ्जंश्चतुर्दश ॥ २३ ॥

Transliteration

niśāvasāna ārabdho loka-kalpo ’nuvartate yāvad dinaṁ bhagavato manūn bhuñjaṁś catur-daśa

Translation

À la fin de la nuit de Brahmā, durant le jour de Brahmā, la création des mondes (lokakalpa) recommence et se poursuit tant que, en ce jour, quatorze Manu successifs accomplissent chacun leur durée.

Synonyms

• निशावसाने: at the end of the night
• निशावसाने: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा + अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—निशायाः अवसानम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• आरब्धः: begun; commenced
• आरब्धः: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रभ् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपसर्गः—आ

• लोककल्पः: the world-cycle (creation period)
• लोककल्पः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—लोकस्य कल्पः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अनुवर्तते: continues; proceeds
• अनुवर्तते: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/लट्), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः—अनु

• यावत्: as long as; until
• यावत्: अवधि (Limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिपर्यन्त (until/as long as)

• दिनम्: the day
• दिनम्: कर्म/अवधि (Object/Extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन; अवधिवाचक

• भगवतः: of the Lord
• भगवतः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• मनून्: Manus
• मनून्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• भुञ्जन्: enjoying; experiencing
• भुञ्जन्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Agent qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘(भगवान्) भुञ्जन्’

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• चतुर्दश: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्यावाचक; द्वितीया-बहुवचनस्य विशेषणम्; समासः—चतुर् च दश च (द्वन्द्व) = 14

Purport

At the end of the life of each Manu there are shorter dissolutions also.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Manu

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about creation starting after Brahmā’s night?

This verse states that when Brahmā’s night ends, the process of world-creation begins again and continues throughout Brahmā’s day.

Who explains the fourteen Manus and why is it mentioned here?

Śukadeva Gosvāmī explains it to Mahārāja Parīkṣit while describing Vedic time cycles; he notes that fourteen Manus preside successively during one day of Brahmā.

How can the teaching of vast cosmic time help in modern spiritual life?

It puts personal anxieties in perspective, encouraging detachment, humility, and steadier devotion by remembering the Lord’s governance over immense cycles of time.