Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 22

The Lord’s Supervision of Embodiment: Fetal Development, Womb-Suffering, and the Jīva’s Prayer (Garbha-stuti) — and the Trap of Māyā

Devanagari script

कपिल उवाच एवं कृतमतिर्गर्भे दशमास्य: स्तुवन्नृषि: । सद्य: क्षिपत्यवाचीनं प्रसूत्यै सूतिमारुत: ॥ २२ ॥

Transliteration

kapila uvāca evaṁ kṛta-matir garbhe daśa-māsyaḥ stuvann ṛṣiḥ sadyaḥ kṣipaty avācīnaṁ prasūtyai sūti-mārutaḥ

Translation

Disse Kapila: Assim, mesmo no ventre, o ser de dez meses firma a mente e louva o Senhor; porém o vento que auxilia o parto o impele de imediato para fora, com o rosto voltado para baixo, para que nasça.

Synonyms

• कपिलः: Kapila
• कपिलः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• कृतमतिः: having formed resolve
• कृतमतिः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु, क्त कृदन्त) + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कृता मति: यस्य)

• गर्भे: in the womb
• गर्भे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दशमास्यः: ten-month (old)
• दशमास्यः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या) + मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (दश मासाः यस्य)

• स्तुवन्: praising
• स्तुवन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ऋषिः: the sage (the fetus)
• ऋषिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• क्षिपति: throws/casts
• क्षिपति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अवाचीनम्: downward; headfirst
• अवाचीनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवाचीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रसूत्यै: for delivery/birth
• प्रसूत्यै: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• सूतिमारुतः: the birth-wind (labor wind)
• सूतिमारुतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूति (प्रातिपदिक) + मारुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सूतेः मारुतः)

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• the jīva (child in the womb)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the soul’s condition in the womb?

This verse describes the ten-month child becoming prayerful and resolved within the womb, yet being forcibly pushed downward by the wind of childbirth—showing how embodied life is driven by material processes despite inner spiritual awareness.

Why does Lord Kapila describe the baby being thrown downward at birth?

In Kapila’s teaching on saṁsāra, birth is not portrayed as fully voluntary; the jīva is compelled by the laws of nature and karma, and the ‘wind of parturition’ initiates delivery, marking the soul’s entry into further material experience.

Practical application of this teaching in modern life?

Remember that many life-changes arrive suddenly and beyond control; cultivate steady devotion and remembrance of the Lord now, so spiritual resolve remains firm even when nature’s forces and circumstances push life in new directions.