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Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 24

Kriyā-yoga, the Virāṭ-Puruṣa Mapping, and the Sun-God’s Monthly Expansions

द्विजऋषभ स एष ब्रह्मयोनि: स्वयंद‍ृक् स्वमहिमपरिपूर्णो मायया च स्वयैतत् । सृजति हरति पातीत्याख्ययानावृताक्षो विवृत इव निरुक्तस्तत्परैरात्मलभ्य: ॥ २४ ॥

dvija-ṛṣabha sa eṣa brahma-yoniḥ svayaṁ-dṛk sva-mahima-paripūrṇo māyayā ca svayaitat sṛjati harati pātīty ākhyayānāvṛtākṣo vivṛta iva niruktas tat-parair ātma-labhyaḥ

हे द्विजश्रेष्ठ! तोच स्वयंप्रकाश, वेदांचा आदिस्रोत, आपल्या महिमेत परिपूर्ण आहे. आपल्या मायाशक्तीने तो या विश्वाची सृष्टी, पालन व संहार करतो. भौतिक कार्यांमुळे तो विभागलेला भासतो असे म्हणतात, तरी तो सदैव शुद्ध ज्ञानात स्थित असतो. जे भक्तिभावाने त्याला शरण जातात, ते त्यालाच आपला खरा आत्मा म्हणून जाणतात।

dvija-ṛṣabhaO best of brāhmaṇas
dvija-ṛṣabha:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija + ṛṣabha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); ‘bull among twice-born’
saḥhe
saḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
eṣaḥthis (one)
eṣaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootetad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
brahma-yoniḥthe source of Brahmā
brahma-yoniḥ:
Pradhāna-nāma (प्रधान-नाम/Predicate)
TypeNoun
Rootbrahman + yoni (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); ‘source/womb of Brahmā/creation’
svayam-dṛkself-luminous seer
svayam-dṛk:
Pradhāna-nāma (प्रधान-नाम)
TypeNoun
Rootsvayam (अव्यय) + dṛk (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); ‘self-seeing’ (independent seer)
sva-mahima-paripūrṇaḥcomplete in his own glory
sva-mahima-paripūrṇaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsva + mahimā + paripūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); ‘complete with his own glory’
māyayāby māyā
māyayā:
Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootmāyā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; conjunction
svayamby himself
svayam:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण/Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsvayam (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; adverb ‘by himself’
etatthis (universe/manifestation)
etat:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootetad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
sṛjaticreates
sṛjati:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootsṛj (धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); परस्मैपद
haratiwithdraws/destroys
harati:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Roothṛ (धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); परस्मैपद
pātiprotects
pāti:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpā (धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); परस्मैपद
itithus
iti:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; quotative particle (इति-निपात)
ākhyayāby the name/designation
ākhyayā:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootākhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); ‘by the designation/name’
anāvṛta-akṣaḥwith unobscured vision
anāvṛta-akṣaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootan-āvṛta + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); ‘whose eyes are not covered’
vivṛtaḥrevealed/open
vivṛtaḥ:
Pradhāna-nāma (प्रधान-नाम/Predicate)
TypeAdjective
Rootvi-vṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; past participle)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); PPP from √vṛ (वृ/वृञ्) with vi- ‘opened/revealed’
ivaas if
iva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiva (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; particle of comparison (उपमा)
niruktaḥdescribed/defined
niruktaḥ:
Pradhāna-nāma (प्रधान-नाम)
TypeAdjective
Rootnir-ukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; past participle)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); PPP from √vac (वच्) with nir- ‘expressed/defined’
tat-paraiḥby those devoted to Him
tat-paraiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण/Agent-instrument)
TypeNoun
Roottat + para (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); ‘by those devoted to Him/that’
ātma-labhyaḥattainable within oneself
ātma-labhyaḥ:
Pradhāna-nāma (प्रधान-नाम/Predicate)
TypeAdjective
Rootātman + labhya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; gerundive)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); gerundive (तव्यत्/य) from √labh ‘to be attained’; ‘attainable by the self/within oneself’

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura recommends that we become humble by practicing the following meditation: “The earth, which is always visible to me, is the expansion of the lotus feet of my Lord, who is always to be meditated upon. All moving and nonmoving living beings have taken shelter of the earth and are thus sheltered at the lotus feet of my Lord. For this reason I should respect every living being and not envy anyone. In fact, all living entities constitute the Kaustubha gem on My Lord’s chest. Therefore I should never envy or deride any living entity.” By practicing this meditation one can achieve success in life.

Ś
Śukadeva Gosvāmī
K
King Parīkṣit

FAQs

This verse says the Lord is the source of Brahman and is truly realized not merely by description, but by single-minded devotion (tat-paraiḥ), through which He becomes directly attainable within.

Because God can be spoken about through names and explanations, but His direct vision is not obtained by words alone; He is actually known by devotees whose consciousness is fixed on Him.

Move from only intellectual spirituality to steady devotional practice—hearing, chanting, and remembrance—so realization becomes experiential rather than merely conceptual.