Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 28

Avadhūta’s Further Teachers: Detachment, Solitude, One-Pointed Meditation, and the Lord as Āśraya

Devanagari script

सृष्ट्वा पुराणि विविधान्यजयात्मशक्त्या वृक्षान् सरीसृपपशून् खगदन्दशूकान् । तैस्तैरतुष्टहृदय: पुरुषं विधाय ब्रह्मावलोकधिषणं मुदमाप देव: ॥ २८ ॥

Transliteration

sṛṣṭvā purāṇi vividhāny ajayātma-śaktyā vṛkṣān sarīsṛpa-paśūn khaga-dandaśūkān tais tair atuṣṭa-hṛdayaḥ puruṣaṁ vidhāya brahmāvaloka-dhiṣaṇaṁ mudam āpa devaḥ

Translation

Đấng Tối Thượng, mở rộng năng lực của chính Ngài—māyā-śakti—đã tạo vô số loài để làm chỗ trú cho các linh hồn bị ràng buộc: cây cối, loài bò sát, thú vật, chim chóc, rắn… Nhưng Ngài vẫn chưa thỏa lòng. Rồi Ngài tạo đời sống con người, ban trí tuệ đủ để chiêm nghiệm Brahman, Chân Lý Tuyệt Đối; khi ấy Bhagavān hoan hỷ.

Synonyms

• sṛṣṭvā: having created
• sṛṣṭvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sṛj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया

• purāṇi: bodies / forms
• purāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘bodies/cities/forms’ (contextual)

• vividhāni: various
• vividhāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vividha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (to purāṇi)

• ajayā-ātma-śaktyā: by his own (Ajā) power
• ajayā-ātma-śaktyā: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajayā (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ajayā ātma-śaktyā = by his own power called Ajā/māyā)

• vṛkṣān: trees
• vṛkṣān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• sarīsṛpa-paśūn: reptiles and animals
• sarīsṛpa-paśūn: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarīsṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + paśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः (reptiles and beasts)

• khaga-dandaśūkān: birds and serpents
• khaga-dandaśūkān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaga (प्रातिपदिक) + dandaśūka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः (birds and serpents)

• taiḥ: by those
• taiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, बहुवचन, पुं/नपुंसक; सर्वनाम

• taiḥ: by those (again)
• taiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति-बल (emphatic repetition)

• atuṣṭa-hṛdayaḥ: unsatisfied at heart
• atuṣṭa-hṛdayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-tuṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (yasya hṛdayaṁ atuṣṭam = whose heart was unsatisfied)

• puruṣam: a person (human)
• puruṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vidhāya: having made
• vidhāya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-dhā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया (having fashioned/arranged)

• brahma-avaloka-dhiṣaṇam: whose intellect is for realizing Brahman
• brahma-avaloka-dhiṣaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + avaloka (प्रातिपदिक) + dhiṣaṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to puruṣam); तत्पुरुषः (brahma-avaloke dhiṣaṇā yasya = whose intellect is for seeing Brahman)

• mudam: joy
• mudam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mud (प्रातिपदिक: muda)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• āpa: attained
• āpa: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• devaḥ: the Lord / God
• devaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Purport

God has specifically created the human form of life to facilitate the liberation of the conditioned soul. Therefore one who abuses human life prepares his path to hell. As stated in the Vedas, puruṣatve cāvistarām ātmā: “In the human form of life there is good possibility of understanding the eternal soul.” The Vedas also state:

Characters & Entities

• Deva (the Supreme Lord)
• Puruṣa (human being)

FAQs

Why does the Srimad Bhagavatam say human life is special compared to other species?

This verse explains that after creating many life-forms, the Lord became pleased only upon creating the human being, because human intelligence can perceive Brahman—making human life uniquely suited for spiritual realization.

Who is speaking Srimad Bhagavatam 11.9.28 and to whom?

Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this verse while instructing King Parīkṣit, continuing the teaching that human birth is meant for higher realization beyond sense-based living.

How can I apply the teaching of Bhagavatam 11.9.28 in modern life?

Use human intelligence for self-inquiry and devotion—prioritize spiritual practice (hearing, chanting, remembering the Lord) rather than living only for food, fear, sleep, and mating like lower species.