Shloka 1

Varṣa-devatā Worship in Jambūdvīpa: Hayagrīva/Hayaśīrṣa, Nṛsiṁha, Kāmadeva (Pradyumna), Matsya, Kūrma, and Varāha

Devanagari script

श्रीशुक उवाच तथा च भद्रश्रवा नाम धर्मसुतस्तत्कुलपतय: पुरुषा भद्राश्ववर्षे साक्षाद्भ‍गवतो वासुदेवस्य प्रियांतनुं धर्ममयीं हयशीर्षाभिधानां परमेण समाधिना सन्निधाप्येदमभिगृणन्त उपधावन्ति ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-śuka uvāca tathā ca bhadraśravā nāma dharma-sutas tat-kula-patayaḥ puruṣā bhadrāśva-varṣe sākṣād bhagavato vāsudevasya priyāṁ tanuṁ dharmamayīṁ hayaśīrṣābhidhānāṁ parameṇa samādhinā sannidhāpyedam abhigṛṇanta upadhāvanti.

Translation

శ్రీశుకదేవ గోస్వామి చెప్పెను—ధర్మరాజుని కుమారుడైన భద్రశ్రవుడు భద్రాశ్వ-వర్షాన్ని పాలిస్తున్నాడు. ఇలావృత-వర్షంలో శివుడు సంకర్షణుని పూజించినట్లే, భద్రశ్రవుడు తన అంతరంగ సేవకులతోను, ఆ దేశంలోని సమస్త నివాసులతోను కలిసి, పరమ సమాధిలో స్థిరమై, వాసుదేవుని ప్రియమైన పూర్ణాంశ విస్తారమైన ‘హయశీర్ష’ను ఆరాధిస్తాడు. హయశీర్షుడు భక్తులకు అత్యంత ప్రియుడు, ధర్మసూత్రాల నియామకుడు. వారు శుద్ధ ఉచ్చారణతో క్రింది ప్రార్థనలను జపిస్తూ ప్రభువుకు నమస్కరిస్తారు.

Synonyms

• śrī-śukaḥ: Śrī Śuka
• śrī-śukaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī + śuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; honorific karmadhāraya

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्, perfect), 3rd person, Singular; parasmaipada

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (प्रकारवाचक) ‘thus/so’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction particle (समुच्चय)

• bhadraśravā: Bhadraśravā
• bhadraśravā: Karta (कर्ता; subject of implied action)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhadraśravas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; proper name

• nāma: named
• nāma: Sambandha (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक used as indeclinable)
• Form: Name-indicator particle (नाम-प्रयोग)

• dharma-sutaḥ: son of Dharma
• dharma-sutaḥ: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; तत्पुरुष: ‘dharmasya sutaḥ’

• tat-kula-patayaḥ: lords of that lineage
• tat-kula-patayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; subject with puruṣāḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad + kula + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; ‘tasya kulasya patayaḥ’

• puruṣāḥ: men/persons
• puruṣāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• bhadrāśva-varṣe: in Bhadrāśva-varṣa
• bhadrāśva-varṣe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhadrāśva + varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular; place-name compound

• sākṣāt: directly
• sākṣāt: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sākṣāt (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (प्रत्यक्षार्थ) ‘directly/in person’

• bhagavataḥ: of the Lord
• bhagavataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular

• vāsudevasya: of Vāsudeva
• vāsudevasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsudeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• priyām: dear/beloved
• priyām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; adjective to tanum

• tanum: form/body
• tanum: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• dharma-mayīm: made of dharma
• dharma-mayīm: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; ‘dharmeṇa mayī’/‘dharma-mayī’ (consisting of dharma)

• hayaśīrṣa-abhidhānām: named Hayaśīrṣa
• hayaśīrṣa-abhidhānām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hayaśīrṣa + abhidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; ‘hayaśīrṣa’ as name; ‘called Hayaśīrṣa’ qualifying tanum

• parameṇa: supreme
• parameṇa: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular; adjective to samādhinā

• samādhinā: by meditation/trance
• samādhinā: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samādhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• sannidhāpya: having approached/placed near
• sannidhāpya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ni-dhā (धा धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्), ‘having brought near/placed before’

• idam: this (hymn)
• idam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; object of abhigṛṇantaḥ

• abhigṛṇantaḥ: praising/reciting
• abhigṛṇantaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√gṝ/√gṛ (गॄ/गृ धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative, Plural; ‘praising/reciting’

• upadhāvanti: they approach/run up to
• upadhāvanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√dhāv (धाव् धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (present), 3rd person, Plural; parasmaipada

Characters & Entities

• Śukadeva
• Dharma
• Bhadraśravā
• Vāsudeva
• Hayaśīrṣa

FAQs

Who is Hayaśīrṣa in the Srimad Bhagavatam?

In this verse, Hayaśīrṣa is identified as a dear personal manifestation of Lord Vāsudeva, worshiped in Bhadrāśva-varṣa as a form embodying dharma.

What happens in Bhadrāśva-varṣa according to Bhagavatam Canto 5 Chapter 18?

Śukadeva describes that Bhadraśravā, a son of Dharma, along with the leaders of his dynasty, worships Lord Vāsudeva’s form Hayaśīrṣa with deep samādhi and prayers.

How can this verse be applied in modern devotional practice?

It highlights focused worship: steady meditation (samādhi), keeping the Lord’s form present in the mind and heart, and offering regular spoken prayers and glorification.