Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 25

King Vena’s Tyranny, the Sages’ Counsel, and the Birth of Niṣāda

Devanagari script

को यज्ञपुरुषो नाम यत्र वो भक्तिरीद‍ृशी । भर्तृस्‍नेहविदूराणां यथा जारे कुयोषिताम् ॥ २५ ॥

Transliteration

ko yajña-puruṣo nāma yatra vo bhaktir īdṛśī bhartṛ-sneha-vidūrāṇāṁ yathā jāre kuyoṣitām

Translation

Đấng mà các ngươi gọi là ‘Yajña-puruṣa’ là ai? Lòng sùng kính của các ngươi đối với chư thiên chẳng khác nào tình của người đàn bà thất tiết, bỏ bê chồng mà mê đắm tình nhân.

Synonyms

• kaḥ: who?
• kaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• yajña-puruṣaḥ: the Lord of sacrifice (Yajña-puruṣa)
• yajña-puruṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): यज्ञस्य पुरुषः; पुल्लिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• nāma: indeed / by name
• nāma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), emphasis/indeed; sometimes ‘by name’

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (relative adverb)

• vaḥ: your
• vaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (2nd person pronoun), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (plural)

• bhaktiḥ: devotion
• bhaktiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• īdṛśī: such (like this)
• īdṛśī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īdṛś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण of भक्ति

• bhartṛ-sneha-vidūrāṇām: of those far from love for their husband
• bhartṛ-sneha-vidūrāṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + sneha (प्रातिपदिक) + vidūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): भर्तुः स्नेहात् विदूराः (far from affection for the husband); पुल्लिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग? (context: women), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (plural)

• yathā: as / like
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (comparative particle)

• jāre: in/for a paramour
• jāre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc), सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन (singular)

• ku-yoṣitām: of immoral women
• ku-yoṣitām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ku (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + yoṣit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: कुयोषितः (wicked/immoral women); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (plural)

Characters & Entities

• Yajña-puruṣa (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

Who is Yajña-puruṣa in the Srimad Bhagavatam?

Yajña-puruṣa refers to Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Person who is the ultimate enjoyer and presiding Lord of all sacrifices (yajña).

Why did King Vena speak offensively about devotion and sacrifice?

In the narrative, Vena is portrayed as impious and envious of Vedic authority; he derides the brāhmaṇas’ worship of Viṣṇu and mocks their devotion as misplaced.

What is the practical lesson of this verse for modern life?

It warns against cynicism and offense toward sincere devotion; dismissing sacred practice out of pride or envy damages one’s character and spiritual progress.