Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvitiya Skandha, Shloka 28

Puruṣa-sūkta Logic of the Virāṭ: Cosmic Anatomy, Sacrifice, and the Lord’s Transcendence

Devanagari script

इति सम्भृतसम्भार: पुरुषावयवैरहम् । तमेव पुरुषं यज्ञं तेनैवायजमीश्वरम् ॥ २८ ॥

Transliteration

iti sambhṛta-sambhāraḥ puruṣāvayavair aham tam eva puruṣaṁ yajñaṁ tenaivāyajam īśvaram

Translation

かくして、プルシャの御身の諸部分から供犠の具を整え、まさにそのプルシャこそがヤジュニャ（祭祀）であると悟り、彼ご自身によって、主を満足させるために祭祀を行った。

Synonyms

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative/particle (इत्यादि-निर्देशक अव्यय)

• sambhṛtasambhāraḥ: having gathered the requisites
• sambhṛtasambhāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sambhṛta-sambhāra (प्रातिपदिक: sambhṛta + sambhāra)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); Karmadhāraya: 'collected (sambhṛta) requisites (sambhāra)'

• puruṣāvayavaiḥ: with the limbs of the Puruṣa
• puruṣāvayavaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa-avayava (प्रातिपदिक: puruṣa + avayava)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• tam: him; that
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative pronoun

• eva: alone; indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारणार्थक)

• puruṣam: the Puruṣa; Person
• puruṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• yajñam: the sacrifice (as the Puruṣa)
• yajñam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); apposition to puruṣam

• tena: by that; with that
• tena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारणार्थक)

• ayajam: I worshipped; I performed sacrifice
• ayajam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yaj (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• īśvaram: the Lord
• īśvaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

Purport

People in general are always anxious to have peace of mind or peace in the world, but they do not know how to achieve such a standard of peace in the world. Such peace in the world is obtainable by performances of sacrifice and by practice of austerity. In the Bhagavad-gītā (5.29) the following prescription is recommended:

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Puruṣa (Supreme Lord/Nārāyaṇa)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about yajna being the Supreme Lord?

This verse states that the Supreme Person Himself is yajña, and true sacrifice is worship offered to Him—using all offerings as His limbs and for His pleasure.

Why did Brahmā say he worshiped the Lord 'by that very sacrifice'?

Brahmā explains that the paraphernalia and acts of sacrifice are not independent; when aligned with the Lord’s universal form and offered to Him, the sacrifice becomes the means of worshiping the same Supreme Person.

Practical application of seeing work as yajna in modern life?

Offer your resources, time, and actions as service to God—treating them as meant for the Lord’s pleasure—so daily duties become devotional sacrifice rather than ego-driven activity.