Shloka 7
Saṃsāra-cakra, Preta’s 12-day Transit to Yama, Re-embodiment, and Karma-Vipāka Catalog of Sins and Rebirths
कललं बुद्ब्रुदमयं ततः शोणितमेव च / पेश्याः पलसमो ऽण्डः स्यादङ्कुरं तत उच्यते
kalalaṃ budbrudamayaṃ tataḥ śoṇitameva ca / peśyāḥ palasamo 'ṇḍaḥ syādaṅkuraṃ tata ucyate
आदौ कललं बुद्बुदमयं भवति, ततः शोणितरूपं जायते। ततो मांसपिण्डः, पलाशप्रमाणोऽण्डाकारः, स चाङ्कुर इति कथ्यते॥
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Embryonic development proceeds through stages—kalala (bubble-like mass), blood, fleshy lump, egg-like form—culminating in the ‘sprout’ (aṅkura).
Vedantic Theme: Body as a product of prakṛti and karmic causation; the jīva remains distinct from changing bodily states.
Application: Cultivate humility and reverence for embodied life; use knowledge of impermanence and formation to reduce attachment and increase discernment.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: intrauterine space
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: garbha-vikāra/embryology descriptions and stages of fetal development
FAQs
In this verse, kalala refers to the earliest embryonic state—described as a small, bubble-like or frothy mass from which later bodily formation proceeds.
It lists a sequence: kalala (bubble-like mass) → śoṇita (blood) → peśī (fleshy lump) → aṇḍa (egg-like form) → aṅkura (the germ/sprout stage), presenting development as progressive condensation into form.
It encourages reverence for embodied life and ethical living (dharma), reminding practitioners that the human body forms through delicate stages and should not be harmed or treated lightly.