Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 16

Transmission of Bhāgavata Wisdom and Brahmā’s Vision of the Supreme Lord on Ananta

Devanagari script

तस्यां स चाम्भोरुहकर्णिकाया- मवस्थितो लोकमपश्यमान: । परिक्रमन् व्योम्नि विवृत्तनेत्र- श्चत्वारि लेभेऽनुदिशं मुखानि ॥ १६ ॥

Transliteration

tasyāṁ sa cāmbho-ruha-karṇikāyām avasthito lokam apaśyamānaḥ parikraman vyomni vivṛtta-netraś catvāri lebhe ’nudiśaṁ mukhāni

Translation

Brahmā, bien qu’établi dans le cœur du lotus, ne voyait pas le monde; il parcourut donc l’espace en circumambulation, et, tournant ses yeux vers toutes les directions, obtint quatre visages selon les quatre points cardinaux.

Synonyms

• तस्याम्: in that (she/it)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अम्भो-रुह-कर्णिकायाम्: in the lotus-pericarp
• अम्भो-रुह-कर्णिकायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक) + रुह (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘अम्भसि रुहस्य (पद्मस्य) कर्णिका’ = lotus-pericarp

• अवस्थितः: situated / stationed
• अवस्थितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: अव; ‘सः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• लोकम्: the world
• लोकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अपश्यमानः: not seeing
• अपश्यमानः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शानच्/Ātmanepada present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञर्थे (negated by context: ‘not seeing’)

• परिक्रमन्: moving around / circling
• परिक्रमन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: परि

• व्योम्नि: in space
• व्योम्नि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्योमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• विवृत्त-नेत्रः: with eyes turned about
• विवृत्त-नेत्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवृत्त (वि+वृत्/वृत्त; प्रातिपदिक as PPP) + नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: ‘विवृत्तं नेत्रं यस्य’ (with eyes turned/rolled about)

• चत्वारि: four
• चत्वारि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; संख्या-विशेषण (numeral adjective)

• लेभे: obtained
• लेभे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अनुदिशम्: in each direction
• अनुदिशम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनुदिशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक (distributive adverb: ‘in each direction’)

• मुखानि: faces
• मुखानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā

FAQs

Why does Brahmā have four heads in the Srimad Bhagavatam?

This verse explains that Brahmā, unable to see the worlds and searching in all directions, obtained four faces—one for each direction—so he could observe and carry out creation.

What was Brahmā experiencing on the lotus before creation began?

He was seated on the lotus-whorl yet saw no formed worlds; in that uncertainty he looked about through space, which led to the manifestation of four directional faces.

What is a practical lesson from Brahmā receiving four faces?

When clarity is lacking, broaden perception and examine a situation from multiple directions—then act responsibly in one’s duty, remembering the higher source behind one’s abilities.