Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 19

Devotion in Kimpuruṣa-varṣa and the Glory of Bhārata-varṣa

Rāmacandra & Nara-Nārāyaṇa; Rivers, Varṇāśrama, and Liberation

Devanagari script

अस्मिन्नेव वर्षे पुरुषैर्लब्धजन्मभि: शुक्ललोहितकृष्णवर्णेन स्वारब्धेन कर्मणा दिव्यमानुषनारकगतयो बह्व्य: आत्मन आनुपूर्व्येण सर्वा ह्येव सर्वेषां विधीयन्ते यथावर्णविधानमपवर्गश्चापि भवति ॥ १९ ॥

Transliteration

asminn eva varṣe puruṣair labdha-janmabhiḥ śukla-lohita-kṛṣṇa-varṇena svārabdhena karmaṇā divya-mānuṣa-nāraka-gatayo bahvya ātmana ānupūrvyeṇa sarvā hy eva sarveṣāṁ vidhīyante yathā-varṇa-vidhānam apavargaś cāpi bhavati.

Translation

ໃນພາຣະຕະວັດນີ້ ຜູ້ເກີດເປັນມະນຸດຈະໄດ້ຮັບສະພາບຕາມກຳເກົ່າ ແບ່ງຕາມຄຸນະ ສັດຕະວະ ຣະຊະ ແລະ ຕະມະ ຈຶ່ງມີນິໄສດຸດຂາວ ແດງ ແລະ ດຳ. ບາງຄົນສູງສົ່ງ ບາງຄົນທົ່ວໄປ ບາງຄົນຕົກນະລົກ. ຖ້າມີຄູວິນຍານແທ້ກຳນົດຖານະ ແລະ ຝຶກໃຫ້ຮັບໃຊ້ພຣະວິສນຸຕາມຈະຕຸວັນນະ ແລະ ຈະຕຸອາສຣົມ ຊີວິດຈະສົມບູນ ແລະ ໄດ້ມຸກຕິ

Synonyms

• asmin: in this
• asmin: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; demonstrative pronoun

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) for emphasis

• varṣe: in the land/region (varṣa)
• varṣe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• puruṣaiḥ: by men
• puruṣaiḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / Agent-instrumental (करण-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• labdha-janmabhiḥ: having obtained birth
• labdha-janmabhiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: labdha (√labh धातु, क्त-कृदन्त) + janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi-like adjectival usage as Tatpuruṣa: 'labdhaṁ janma yeṣām'; Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; qualifying puruṣaiḥ

• śukla-lohita-kṛṣṇa-varṇena: by (the influence of) white-red-black coloration (guṇa/varṇa)
• śukla-lohita-kṛṣṇa-varṇena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukla (प्रातिपदिक) + lohita (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound: śukla-lohita-kṛṣṇa (dvandva) + varṇa (tatpuruṣa: 'of color'); Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• svārabdhena: well-initiated
• svārabdhena: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-ārabdha (√rabh धातु, क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter/Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; past participle used adjectivally: 'well-begun/undertaken'

• karmaṇā: by action/karma
• karmaṇā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• divya-mānuṣa-nāraka-gatayaḥ: the divine, human, and hellish destinations
• divya-mānuṣa-nāraka-gatayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / Subject
• Type: Noun
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक) + mānuṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + nāraka (प्रातिपदिक) + gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound: divya-mānuṣa-nāraka (dvandva of types) + gati (tatpuruṣa: 'gatis of'); Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• bahvyaḥ: many
• bahvyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; agrees with gatayaḥ

• ātmanaḥ: of the self
• ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• ānupūrvyeṇa: in due sequence/gradually
• ānupūrvyeṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānupūrvya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; adverbial instrumental

• sarvāḥ: all
• sarvāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; agrees with gatayaḥ

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) indicating reason/emphasis

• eva: certainly
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) for emphasis

• sarveṣām: of all (beings)
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• vidhīyante: are ordained/are arranged
• vidhīyante: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhā (धा धातु) with vi-; passive
• Form: Lakāra: Laṭ (Present), Passive (कर्मणि प्रयोग); 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural

• yathā-varṇa-vidhānam: according to the arrangement of varṇas
• yathā-varṇa-vidhānam: Karma (कर्म) / Adverbial standard
• Type: Noun
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + varṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound: varṇa-vidhāna (tatpuruṣa: 'arrangement according to varṇa'); Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; yathā as indeclinable qualifier

• apavargaḥ: liberation
• apavargaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / Subject (secondary)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apavarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक निपात)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) meaning 'also/even'

• bhavati: occurs/is
• bhavati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: Lakāra: Laṭ (Present), Parasmaipada; 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

Purport

For further information, one should refer to Bhagavad-gītā (14.18 and 18.42-45). Śrīla Rāmānujācārya writes in his book Vedārtha-saṅgraha:

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about karma leading to heaven, human life, or hell?

This verse states that in Bhārata-varṣa, people attain celestial, human, or hellish conditions according to their already-begun karma, shaped by goodness, passion, and ignorance.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī emphasize Bhārata-varṣa in Canto 5?

Because Bhārata-varṣa is highlighted as a unique place where, along with karmic results, liberation (apavarga) is also achievable—making human birth here spiritually significant.

Practical application of the three guṇas (sattva, rajas, tamas) in modern life?

By recognizing how choices cultivate goodness, passion, or ignorance, one can intentionally move toward sattva—supporting ethical living and spiritual practice aimed at freedom from repeated karmic outcomes.