Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 37

Brahmā’s Creation: The Kumāras, Rudra, the Prajāpatis, and the Manifestation of Vedic Sound

Devanagari script

मैत्रेय उवाच ऋग्यजु:सामाथर्वाख्यान् वेदान् पूर्वादिभिर्मुखै: । शास्त्रमिज्यां स्तुतिस्तोमं प्रायश्चित्तं व्यधात्क्रमात् ॥ ३७ ॥

Transliteration

maitreya uvāca ṛg-yajuḥ-sāmātharvākhyān vedān pūrvādibhir mukhaiḥ śāstram ijyāṁ stuti-stomaṁ prāyaścittaṁ vyadhāt kramāt

Translation

Maitreya dit : À partir du visage frontal de Brahmā se manifestèrent, graduellement, les quatre Veda—Ṛk, Yajur, Sāma et Atharva. Puis, l’un après l’autre, furent établis les śāstra, les rites du yajña, les hymnes de louange et stoma, ainsi que les actes d’expiation (prāyaścitta).

Synonyms

• मैत्रेयः: Maitreya
• मैत्रेयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ऋक्-यजुः-साम-अथर्व-आख्यान्: named Ṛg, Yajus, Sāma and Atharva
• ऋक्-यजुः-साम-अथर्व-आख्यान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋक् (प्रातिपदिक) + यजुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + सामन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अथर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (कृत्/प्रातिपदिक: ‘आख्यात’ sense)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (enumerative): ‘ऋग्वेद-यजुर्वेद-सामवेद-अथर्ववेद-नामकान्’

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• पूर्व-आदिभिः: by the eastern and other (faces)
• पूर्व-आदिभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘पूर्वः आदिः येषाम्’ → ‘पूर्वादयः’ (the eastern etc.)

• मुखैः: with (his) mouths/faces
• मुखैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), बहुवचन

• शास्त्रम्: the śāstra (treatise)
• शास्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• इज्याम्: worship/sacrifice
• इज्याम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इज्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• स्तुति-स्तोमम्: praise and hymn-collections
• स्तुति-स्तोमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः (pair): ‘स्तुतिः च स्तोमः च’ (praise and hymn-collections)

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: atonement/penance
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• व्यधात्: arranged/established
• व्यधात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः ‘वि’ (vy-): ‘arranged/established’

• क्रमात्: successively, in order
• क्रमात्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् (ablatival adverb): ‘in due order/successively’

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• Brahmā

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the origin of the four Vedas?

This verse states that Brahmā manifested the four Vedas—Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma, and Atharva—sequentially, along with related Vedic components like ritual worship, hymns, and atonement procedures.

Why does Maitreya describe Brahmā producing the Vedas in Canto 3?

In the creation narrative, Maitreya explains how dharma and sacred knowledge appear within the cosmos—showing that śāstra, yajña, praise-hymns, and prāyaścitta arise as part of Brahmā’s ordered manifestation.

Practical application of prāyaścitta (atonement) in modern life according to this verse?

The verse highlights that atonement is a recognized Vedic tool for purification—practically, it encourages honest acknowledgement of faults, corrective action, and sincere spiritual rectification rather than denial or repetition.