Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 30

Aditi’s Lament and Kaśyapa’s Instruction of the Payo-vrata (Milk Vow) to Please Keśava

Devanagari script

नमोऽव्यक्ताय सूक्ष्माय प्रधानपुरुषाय च । चतुर्विंशद्गुणज्ञाय गुणसङ्ख्यानहेतवे ॥ ३० ॥

Transliteration

namo ’vyaktāya sūkṣmāya pradhāna-puruṣāya ca catur-viṁśad-guṇa-jñāya guṇa-saṅkhyāna-hetave

Translation

హే అవ్యక్తా, అతి సూక్ష్మా, ప్రధాన-పురుషా! ఇంద్రియాలకు అగోచరుడవు; చతుర్వింశతి తత్త్వముల జ్ఞాతవు, గుణసంఖ్యానహేతువైన సాంఖ్యయోగ ప్రవర్తకుడవు—నీకు నా నమస్కారము।

Synonyms

• नमः: salutations
• नमः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• अव्यक्ताय: to the unmanifest
• अव्यक्ताय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• सूक्ष्माय: to the subtle
• सूक्ष्माय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• प्रधानपुरुषाय: to the Pradhāna-Puruṣa
• प्रधानपुरुषाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रधान-पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक; प्रधान + पुरुष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भाव (determinative): प्रधानः पुरुषः / प्रधानसम्बद्धः पुरुषः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• चतुर्विंशद्गुणज्ञाय: to the knower of the twenty-four qualities/tattvas
• चतुर्विंशद्गुणज्ञाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्विंशत्-गुण-ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर्विंशत् + गुण + ज्ञ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: चतुर्विंशत् गुणानां ज्ञः (knower of 24 qualities/tattvas)

• गुणसङ्ख्यानहेतवे: to the cause of the enumeration of the guṇas
• गुणसङ्ख्यानहेतवे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण-सङ्ख्यान-हेतु (प्रातिपदिक; गुण + सङ्ख्यान + हेतु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: गुणानां सङ्ख्यानस्य हेतुः (cause of the enumeration of guṇas)

Purport

Catur-viṁśad-guṇa, the twenty-four elements, are the five gross elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether), the three subtle elements (mind, intelligence and false ego), the ten senses (five for working and five for acquiring knowledge), the five sense objects, and contaminated consciousness. These are the subject matter of sāṅkhya-yoga, which was inaugurated by Lord Kapiladeva. This sāṅkhya-yoga was again propounded by another Kapila, but he was an atheist, and his system is not accepted as bona fide.

Characters & Entities

• Aditi
• Bhagavan (Vishnu)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the Lord being both pradhāna and puruṣa?

This verse praises the Lord as the controller of both material nature (pradhāna) and the supreme conscious person (puruṣa), indicating He is the source and master of creation, not a product of it.

Why did Aditi offer this prayer in Canto 8 Chapter 16?

Aditi, seeking the Lord’s shelter and divine help for the devas, glorifies Him as the ultimate reality beyond matter and as the knower of all cosmic principles, to affirm His power to protect and restore dharma.

How can the teaching of ‘the Unmanifest and the subtle Lord’ be applied in modern life?

It encourages seeing a deeper intelligence behind changing circumstances, cultivating humility and steadiness—using discernment (knowledge) while taking refuge in devotion (bhakti) during uncertainty.