Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 48

Citraketu’s Detachment, Nārada’s Mantra, and the Darśana of Anantadeva

Devanagari script

यं वै श्वसन्तमनु विश्वसृज: श्वसन्ति यं चेकितानमनु चित्तय उच्चकन्ति । भूमण्डलं सर्षपायति यस्य मूर्ध्नि तस्मै नमो भगवतेऽस्तु सहस्रमूर्ध्ने ॥ ४८ ॥

Transliteration

yaṁ vai śvasantam anu viśva-sṛjaḥ śvasanti yaṁ cekitānam anu cittaya uccakanti bhū-maṇḍalaṁ sarṣapāyati yasya mūrdhni tasmai namo bhagavate ’stu sahasra-mūrdhne

Translation

హే ప్రభూ! నీ శ్వాసను అనుసరించి బ్రహ్మా, ఇంద్రుడు మొదలైన విశ్వనియంతలు తమ కార్యాలలో నిమగ్నమవుతారు; నీ చైతన్యాన్ని అనుసరించి చిత్తమూ ఇంద్రియాలూ గ్రహిస్తాయి. ఎవరి శిరస్సులపై సమస్త బ్రహ్మాండాలు ఆవగింజలవలె ఉన్నాయో, ఆ సహస్రమూఢ్ని భగవానునికి నమస్కారం.

Synonyms

• yam: whom
• yam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम

• vai: indeed
• vai: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• śvasantam: breathing
• śvasantam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śvas (धातु) + -ant (शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• anu: following, along with
• anu: Upapada (उपपद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anu (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुगमनार्थक (preposition/adverb ‘after/along’)

• viśva-sṛjaḥ: the creators of the universe (cosmic beings)
• viśva-sṛjaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + sṛj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य स्रष्टारः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• śvasanti: breathe
• śvasanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śvas (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• yam: whom
• yam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• īkitānam: the perceived/seen one
• īkitānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √īkṣ/√īk (धातु) + -tāna (कृत्; PPP-like)
• Form: कृतान्त (past passive participle-like), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘observed/seen’ (here: ‘the one who is perceived’)

• anu: after, following
• anu: Upapada (उपपद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुगमनार्थक

• cittayāḥ: minds, thoughts
• cittayāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cittaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (Vedic/archaic plural form; = cittāni/cittāḥ ‘minds/thoughts’)

• uccakanti: rise/strive (towards)
• uccakanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-√kram/√kam? (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; rare/archaic form (meaning ‘rise up/strive/aspire’)

• bhū-maṇḍalam: the earth-globe
• bhū-maṇḍalam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (भूमेः मण्डलम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• sarṣapāyati: appears as small as a mustard seed
• sarṣapāyati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sarṣapa (प्रातिपदिक) + √i (धातु)
• Form: नामधातु/denominative from ‘sarṣapa’ + लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘becomes like a mustard seed’

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• mūrdhni: on (his) head
• mūrdhni: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• tasmai: to him
• tasmai: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Prayojana (नमस्कार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक

• bhagavate: to the Lord
• bhagavate: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन

• astu: let it be
• astu: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive sense), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• sahasra-mūrdhne: to the thousand-headed one
• sahasra-mūrdhne: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (सहस्रं मूर्धानः यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन

Characters & Entities

• King Citraketu
• Supreme Lord (Ananta/Thousand-headed Lord)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the thousand-headed Lord (sahasra-mūrdhā)?

This verse glorifies the Supreme Lord as the vast cosmic person whose breathing sustains even the universe’s creators, and upon whose head the earth appears tiny—affirming His limitless supremacy.

Why did King Citraketu offer this prayer in Canto 6 Chapter 16?

Citraketu, having received divine mercy and spiritual awakening, offers reverent praise to the Supreme Lord, recognizing Him as the ultimate source behind all cosmic powers and mental activity.

Practical application of this shloka’s teaching in modern life?

It trains humility and God-centeredness: by remembering the Lord’s greatness, one reduces ego and anxiety and cultivates steady devotion through prayer and remembrance.