Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 48

Secondary Creation Begins: Brahmā’s Productions, the Guṇas, and the Emergence of Orders of Beings

Devanagari script

येऽहीयन्तामुत: केशा अहयस्तेऽङ्ग जज्ञिरे । सर्पा: प्रसर्पत: क्रूरा नागा भोगोरुकन्धरा: ॥ ४८ ॥

Transliteration

ye ’hīyantāmutaḥ keśā ahayas te ’ṅga jajñire sarpāḥ prasarpataḥ krūrā nāgā bhogoru-kandharāḥ

Translation

愛しきヴィドゥラよ、その身から落ちた髪は蛇となり、手足を縮めて身が這い進むとき、そこから凶暴な蛇どもと、頭巾を広げたナーガたちが生じた。

Synonyms

• ये: who/which (those)
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धि-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• अहीयन्ताम्: were to be shed / let fall off
• अहीयन्ताम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हि (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, तृतीयपुरुष, बहुवचन; उपसर्ग: आ-; धातु: हि—‘to abandon/leave’ → ‘let (them) be abandoned/fall off’

• उतः: also; moreover
• उतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अर्थे: ‘also/and then’

• केशाः: hairs
• केशाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अहयः: serpents
• अहयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; वैकल्पिक रूप (अहयः = अहयः/अहयः)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संकेत-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• अङ्ग: O (dear); indeed
• अङ्ग: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अङ्ग (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle), अर्थे: ‘O dear/indeed’

• जज्ञिरे: were born / came into being
• जज्ञिरे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, तृतीयपुरुष, बहुवचन; धातु: जन्—‘to be born’

• सर्पाः: snakes
• सर्पाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• प्रसर्पतः: crawling about
• प्रसर्पतः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-सृप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; उपसर्ग: प्र-; अर्थे: ‘crawling forth’

• क्रूराः: cruel, fierce
• क्रूराः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• नागाः: nāgas (serpent beings)
• नागाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• भोग-उरु-कन्धराः: with broad necks and hoods
• भोग-उरु-कन्धराः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक) + उरु (प्रातिपदिक) + कन्धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (भोगः उरुः यस्य कन्धरः) ‘having necks with large hoods’

Characters & Entities

• Śukadeva Gosvāmī
• Mahārāja Parīkṣit
• Lord Brahmā

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the origin of snakes and nāgas?

In Canto 3, Chapter 20, this verse describes that serpents and nāgas manifested during Brahmā’s secondary creation, with nāgas characterized as great hooded serpents with powerful necks.

Why is Śukadeva Gosvāmī describing the creation of animals to King Parīkṣit?

Śukadeva explains the stages of creation (sarga/visarga) to establish the Lord’s supreme control over the cosmos and to situate all beings within the Bhagavatam’s devotional worldview for Parīkṣit’s final hearing.

What is a practical application of this creation teaching in modern life?

It encourages humility and God-consciousness: seeing all species as part of a divinely ordered creation helps reduce pride, cultivate reverence for life, and deepen devotion to the Supreme Lord beyond material classifications.