Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 13

Viṣṇupadī Gaṅgā: Descent, Cosmic Pathways, and Śiva’s Praise of Saṅkarṣaṇa

Devanagari script

यत्र ह देवपतय: स्वै: स्वैर्गणनायकैर्विहितमहार्हणा: सर्वर्तुकुसुमस्तबकफलकिसलयश्रियाऽऽनम्यमानविटपलता विटपिभिरुपशुम्भमानरुचिरकाननाश्रमायतनवर्षगिरिद्रोणीषु तथा चामलजलाशयेषु विकचविविधनववनरुहामोदमुदितराजहंसजलकुक्कुटकारण्डवसारसचक्रवाकादिभिर्मधुकरनिकराकृतिभिरुपकूजितेषु जलक्रीडादिभिर्विचित्रविनोदै: सुललितसुरसुन्दरीणां कामकलिलविलासहासलीलावलोकाकृष्टमनोद‍ृष्टय: स्वैरं विहरन्ति ॥ १३ ॥

Transliteration

yatra ha deva-patayaḥ svaiḥ svair gaṇa-nāyakair vihita-mahārhaṇāḥ sarvartu-kusuma-stabaka-phala-kisalaya-śriyānamyamāna-viṭapa-latā-viṭapibhir upaśumbhamāna-rucira-kānanāśramāyatana-varṣa-giri-droṇīṣu tathā cāmala-jalāśayeṣu vikaca-vividha-nava-vanaruhāmoda-mudita-rāja-haṁsa-jala-kukkuṭa-kāraṇḍava-sārasa-cakravākādibhir madhukara-nikarākṛtibhir upakūjiteṣu jala-krīḍādibhir vicitra-vinodaiḥ sulalita-sura-sundarīṇāṁ kāma-kalila-vilāsa-hāsa-līlāvalokākṛṣṭa-mano-dṛṣṭayaḥ svairaṁ viharanti.

Translation

Trong mỗi miền đất ấy, các vị đứng đầu chư thiên, cùng những thủ lĩnh tùy tùng của mình, được tôn kính bằng sự cúng dường trọng thể. Những khu vườn và tịnh thất đẹp đẽ được điểm trang bởi dây leo và cây cối oằn xuống vì hoa theo mùa, trái ngọt và chồi non. Giữa các dãy núi ranh giới là những hồ nước trong vắt, đầy sen mới nở; hương sen làm hân hoan thiên nga, vịt, gà nước, karandava, sếu, chakravāka… và tiếng ong vo ve quyện khắp không trung. Bên bờ hồ, họ tự do vui chơi với trò nước và nhiều thú tiêu khiển. Các thiên nữ mỉm cười đùa nghịch, liếc nhìn đầy dục vọng khiến lòng các phu quân xao động; người hầu luôn dâng bột đàn hương và vòng hoa. Như vậy, cư dân của tám varṣa thiên giới hưởng lạc, bị cuốn hút bởi hoạt động của phái đối nghịch.

Synonyms

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

• ha: indeed
• ha: Sambandha (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle (निपात) for emphasis/tradition

• deva-patayaḥ: the lords of the gods
• deva-patayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa; Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

• svaiḥ: by their own
• svaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun-adjective; Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; modifies gaṇa-nāyakaiḥ

• svaiḥ: each by his own
• svaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Repetition for distributive sense; Instrumental plural

• gaṇa-nāyakaiḥ: by the leaders of their retinues
• gaṇa-nāyakaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + nāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa; Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• vihita-mahārhaṇāḥ: duly honored with great worship
• vihita-mahārhaṇāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vihita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √dhā/वि-धा) + mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + arhaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (descriptive) with past participle; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; qualifies deva-patayaḥ; 'having been offered great worship'

• sarva-ṛtu-kusuma-stabaka-phala-kisalaya-śriyā: by the beauty of all-season flowers, clusters, fruits, and shoots
• sarva-ṛtu-kusuma-stabaka-phala-kisalaya-śriyā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛtu (प्रातिपदिक) + kusuma (प्रातिपदिक) + stabaka (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + kisalaya (प्रातिपदिक) + śrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa compound; Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular; denotes 'by the beauty (śrī) of flowers, clusters, fruits, sprouts of all seasons'

• ānamyamāna-viṭapa-latā-viṭapibhiḥ: by trees with bending branches and creepers
• ānamyamāna-viṭapa-latā-viṭapibhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānamyamāna (कृदन्त; √nam, present passive participle) + viṭapa (प्रातिपदिक) + latā (प्रातिपदिक) + viṭapin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa; Instrumental (3rd), Plural; 'by trees (viṭapin) with branches and creepers bending down'

• upaśumbhamāna-rucira-kānana-āśrama-āyatana-varṣa-giri-droṇīṣu: in mountain valleys—charming forest hermitage-abodes—being adorned
• upaśumbhamāna-rucira-kānana-āśrama-āyatana-varṣa-giri-droṇīṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upaśumbhamāna (कृदन्त; √śubh, present participle) + rucira (प्रातिपदिक) + kānana (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrama (प्रातिपदिक) + āyatana (प्रातिपदिक) + varṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + giri (प्रातिपदिक) + droṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa; Feminine, Locative (7th), Plural; 'in mountain-valleys (droṇīṣu) that are charming forest-āśrama abodes, being adorned'

• tathā: and likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (तुल्यतावाचक)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction (समुच्चय)

• amala-jalāśayeṣu: in pure lakes/reservoirs
• amala-jalāśayeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amala (प्रातिपदिक) + jalāśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya; Masculine, Locative (7th), Plural

• vikaca-vividha-nava-vanaruha-āmoda-mudita-rāja-haṁsa-jala-kukkuṭa-kāraṇḍava-sārasa-cakravāka-ādibhiḥ: by royal swans, waterfowl, kāraṇḍavas, sārasa, cakravākas, etc., delighted by lotus-fragrance
• vikaca-vividha-nava-vanaruha-āmoda-mudita-rāja-haṁsa-jala-kukkuṭa-kāraṇḍava-sārasa-cakravāka-ādibhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vikaca (प्रातिपदिक) + vividha (प्रातिपदिक) + nava (प्रातिपदिक) + vanaruha (प्रातिपदिक) + āmoda (प्रातिपदिक) + mudita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + rāja-haṁsa (प्रातिपदिक) + jala-kukkuṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + kāraṇḍava (प्रातिपदिक) + sārasa (प्रातिपदिक) + cakravāka (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa; Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; 'by (birds) such as royal swans, waterfowl etc., delighted by the fragrance of freshly blossomed diverse lotuses'

• madhukara-nikara-ākṛtibhiḥ: by shapes like swarms of bees
• madhukara-nikara-ākṛtibhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhukara (प्रातिपदिक) + nikara (प्रातिपदिक) + ākṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa; Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; 'by forms resembling swarms of bees'

• upakūjiteṣu: in (places) softly resounding
• upakūjiteṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-kūjita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √kūj)
• Form: Past passive participle; Locative (7th), Plural; agrees with droṇīṣu/jalāśayeṣu; 'in places resounding softly'

• jala-krīḍā-ādibhiḥ: by water-sports and the like
• jala-krīḍā-ādibhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक) + krīḍā (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa; Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; 'by water-sports and the like'

• vicitra-vinodaiḥ: by various amusements
• vicitra-vinodaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vicitra (प्रातिपदिक) + vinoda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya; Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• sulalita-sura-sundarīṇām: of the very graceful celestial maidens
• sulalita-sura-sundarīṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-lalita (प्रातिपदिक) + sura (प्रातिपदिक) + sundarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya; Feminine, Genitive (6th), Plural

• kāma-kalila-vilāsa-hāsa-līlā-avaloka-ākṛṣṭa-mano-dṛṣṭayaḥ: with minds and glances drawn by amorous play, laughter, and looks
• kāma-kalila-vilāsa-hāsa-līlā-avaloka-ākṛṣṭa-mano-dṛṣṭayaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + kalila (प्रातिपदिक) + vilāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + hāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + līlā (प्रातिपदिक) + avaloka (प्रातिपदिक) + ākṛṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √kṛṣ) + manas (प्रातिपदिक) + dṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa; Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; qualifies deva-patayaḥ; 'whose minds and glances are drawn by amorous, dense play—sport, laughter, playful looks'

• svairam: freely/at will
• svairam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svaira (प्रातिपदिक used adverbially)
• Form: Avyaya (adverbial accusative/क्रियाविशेषण-रूप), manner adverb

• viharanti: they roam/sport
• viharanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vihṛ (धातु; वि-√हृ/√हृ as 'to sport')
• Form: Present (लट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural

Purport

Here is a description of the lower heavenly planets. The inhabitants of those planets enjoy life in a pleasing atmosphere of clear lakes filled with newly grown lotus flowers and gardens filled with fruits, flowers, various kinds of birds and humming bees. In that atmosphere they enjoy life with their very beautiful wives, who are always sexually stimulated. Nonetheless, they are all devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as will be explained in subsequent verses. The inhabitants of this earth also desire such heavenly enjoyment, but when they somehow or other achieve imitation pleasures like sex and intoxication, they completely forget the service of the Supreme Lord. In the heavenly planets, however, although the residents enjoy superior sense gratification, they never forget their positions as eternal servants of the Supreme Being.

Characters & Entities

• Devapatayaḥ (lords of the demigods)
• Sura-sundarīḥ (celestial maidens)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam describe about the beauty of Jambūdvīpa in Canto 5?

This verse depicts Jambūdvīpa’s varṣa regions as filled with ever-blooming forests, fruit-laden trees, pure lakes, swans and other birds, humming bees, and delightful hermitage-like settings where celestial beings freely enjoy.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī describe demigods and celestial maidens in this chapter?

In the geographic and cosmological narration of Jambūdvīpa, Śukadeva illustrates the opulence and attractions present in higher realms, showing how even exalted beings become absorbed in refined enjoyment within such divine settings.

What is a practical lesson from this shloka for modern life?

The verse highlights how beauty and pleasure can strongly pull the mind and senses; a devotee can learn to practice mindful restraint and redirect attraction toward lasting spiritual purpose rather than becoming carried away by sensual charm.