Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 19

Brahmā’s Secondary Creation, Kāla (Eternal Time), and the Taxonomy of Species

Devanagari script

सप्तमो मुख्यसर्गस्तु षङ्‌विधस्तस्थुषां च य: । वनस्पत्योषधिलतात्वक्सारा वीरुधो द्रुमा: ॥ १९ ॥

Transliteration

saptamo mukhya-sargas tu ṣaḍ-vidhas tasthuṣāṁ ca yaḥ vanaspaty-oṣadhi-latā- tvaksārā vīrudho drumāḥ

Translation

सातवा मुख्य सर्ग स्थावरांचा आहे; तो सहा प्रकारचा मानला आहे—फुलांशिवाय फळ देणारी वनस्पती, फळ पकेपर्यंत टिकणाऱ्या औषधी, लता, त्वक्सार (नलप्रकार) वनस्पती, आधाराविना पसरणाऱ्या वीरुधी, आणि फुल-फळ देणारे वृक्ष.

Synonyms

• saptamaḥ: seventh
• saptamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; ordinal qualifying ‘sargaḥ’

• mukhya-sargaḥ: the principal creation
• mukhya-sargaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukhya (प्रातिपदिक) + sarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; Karmadhāraya: ‘mukhyaḥ sargaḥ’ (the principal creation)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha-bodhaka
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (nipāta)

• ṣaḍ-vidhaḥ: sixfold
• ṣaḍ-vidhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; Dvigu compound meaning ‘of six kinds’; qualifier of ‘sargaḥ’

• tasthuṣām: of the stationary beings
• tasthuṣām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: √sthā (स्था धातु) → tasthuṣ (कृदन्त, perfect participle)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Bahuvacana; perfect active participle (liṭ-kṛdanta) ‘standing’ used substantively = ‘of the stationary beings’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha-bodhaka
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (samuccaya/समुच्चय)

• yaḥ: which
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; relative pronoun referring to ‘sargaḥ’

• vanaspatiḥ: trees (lords of the forest)
• vanaspatiḥ: Karta (enumeration item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vanaspati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana intended by context though form given in compound-list; here treated as category noun in nominative plural list (vanaspatayaḥ)

• oṣadhiḥ: herbs
• oṣadhiḥ: Karta (enumeration item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: oṣadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana intended (oṣadhayaḥ); category noun in list

• latāḥ: creepers
• latāḥ: Karta (enumeration item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: latā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• tvak-sārāḥ: bark-essenced (bark-bearing plants)
• tvak-sārāḥ: Karta (enumeration item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvac (प्रातिपदिक) + sāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; Tatpuruṣa: ‘tvacaḥ sāraḥ’ = those whose essence is bark (bark-bearing plants)

• vīrudhaḥ: climbers/creeping plants
• vīrudhaḥ: Karta (enumeration item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīrudh (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana (vīrudhaḥ as Vedic/epic nom.pl.); category noun in list

• drumāḥ: trees
• drumāḥ: Karta (enumeration item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: druma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam 3.10.19 say about the creation of plants and trees?

It describes the seventh principal creation as the immovable species, classified into six categories such as herbs, creepers, grasses/vines, and various kinds of trees distinguished by features like bark or pith.

Why is this verse listing categories of immovable beings in Canto 3?

In Canto 3, Chapter 10, Śukadeva explains the divisions of creation (sarga) to show how the Lord’s cosmic manifestation unfolds systematically, including the immovable forms of life.

How can this teaching about creation be applied in modern life?

It encourages a devotional, reverent view of nature—seeing plants and trees as part of an ordered divine creation, fostering humility, gratitude, and responsible care for the environment.