Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 52

Bhāgavata-Māhātmya and the Complete Summary of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Devanagari script

तद्वाग्विसर्गो जनताघसम्प्लवो यस्मिन् प्रतिश्लोकमबद्धवत्यपि । नामान्यनन्तस्य यशोऽङ्कितानि य- च्छृण्वन्ति गायन्ति गृणन्ति साधव: ॥ ५२ ॥

Transliteration

tad vāg-visargo janatāgha-samplavo yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api nāmāny anantasya yaśo ’ṅkitāni yat śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ

Translation

Trái lại, văn chương ghi khắc danh và tiếng của Đấng Vô Hạn (Ananta), dù từng câu kệ chưa trau chuốt hoàn hảo, vẫn là một sáng tạo khác: dòng lũ cuốn trôi tội lỗi của nhân gian. Các bậc thánh hiền thanh tịnh lắng nghe, ca hát và tiếp nhận.

Synonyms

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (demonstrative used adjectivally with visargaḥ)

• vāk-visargaḥ: emanation/creation of speech
• vāk-visargaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक) + visarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (vācaḥ visargaḥ)

• janatāgha-samplavaḥ: flood that washes away people’s sins
• janatāgha-samplavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janatā (प्रातिपदिक) + agha (प्रातिपदिक) + samplava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (janatāyāḥ agha-samplavaḥ)

• yasmin: in which
• yasmin: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (loc. sg. relative pronoun)

• prati-ślokam: in each verse
• prati-ślokam: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/distributive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय) + śloka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial: per verse)

• abaddhavati: even if (it is) unconnected/loosely composed
• abaddhavati: Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier of yasmin)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a+baddha (bandh धातु, क्त) + vat (वत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (loc. sg.) agreeing with yasmin; क्तान्त + वत् (possessive: ‘having unconnectedness’)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि (concessive particle: even)

• nāmāni: names
• nāmāni: Karma (कर्म/object of verbs)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neut. nom./acc. pl.)

• anantasya: of the Infinite (Lord)
• anantasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (gen. sg.)

• yaśaḥ-aṅkitāni: marked with (His) glory
• yaśaḥ-aṅkitāni: Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier of nāmāni)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yaśas (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅkita (aṅk धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (yaśasaḥ aṅkitāni)

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (कर्म/relative object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (relative pronoun: neut. acc. sg.)

• śṛṇvanti: hear
• śṛṇvanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• gāyanti: sing
• gāyanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gai (गै धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• gṛṇanti: praise
• gṛṇanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gṛ (गॄ धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• sādhavaḥ: saints
• sādhavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nom. pl.)

Characters & Entities

• Ananta (the Supreme Lord)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about imperfect verses that glorify God?

This verse says that even if the composition is not perfectly crafted, if each verse carries the holy names and glories of the Unlimited Lord, it becomes spiritually powerful and purifying, worthy of being heard, sung, and recited by sādhus.

Why does Sūta Gosvāmī praise the Bhāgavatam as a flood that removes sins?

Because the Bhāgavatam is saturated with the Lord’s names and fame; contact with such sound—through hearing, chanting, and recitation—overwhelms sinful reactions like a cleansing inundation.

How can I apply this teaching in modern life?

Make a daily habit of hearing or reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and chanting the Lord’s names; prioritize sincere glorification over showy eloquence, and keep devotional sound as a regular part of your routine.