Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 18
Brahmā’s Secondary Creation, Kāla (Eternal Time), and the Taxonomy of Species
षडिमे प्राकृता: सर्गा वैकृतानपि मे शृणु । रजोभाजो भगवतो लीलेयं हरिमेधस: ॥ १८ ॥
ṣaḍ ime prākṛtāḥ sargā vaikṛtān api me śṛṇu rajo-bhājo bhagavato līleyaṁ hari-medhasaḥ
ये छहों सर्ग प्रभु की बाह्य प्रकृति-शक्ति से होने वाली प्राकृतिक सृष्टियाँ हैं। अब मुझसे ब्रह्मा द्वारा की गई वैकृत सृष्टियाँ भी सुनो—वे रजोगुण के अवतार हैं और सृष्टि-कार्य में उनकी बुद्धि भगवान के समान हरि-मेधा है।
FAQs
This verse distinguishes six prākṛta (primary, material) creations and introduces the vaikṛta (secondary, transformative) creations, presenting creation as a structured unfolding of prakṛti under the Lord’s governance.
Śukadeva frames cosmology devotionally: the universe is not random or merely mechanical, but the Lord’s purposeful, divine play—meant to reveal His sovereignty and invite remembrance of Hari.
Seeing life as under a higher, benevolent intelligence reduces anxiety and pride, encouraging humility, responsibility, and steady devotion—especially when facing change and uncertainty.