Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 27

Brahmā’s Secondary Creation, Kāla (Eternal Time), and the Taxonomy of Species

Devanagari script

वैकृतास्रय एवैते देवसर्गश्च सत्तम । वैकारिकस्तु य: प्रोक्त: कौमारस्तूभयात्मक: ॥ २७ ॥

Transliteration

vaikṛtās traya evaite deva-sargaś ca sattama vaikārikas tu yaḥ proktaḥ kaumāras tūbhayātmakaḥ

Translation

Hỡi Vidura hiền thiện, ba sự sáng tạo sau cùng này và cả sự tạo dựng chư thiên đều thuộc loại “vaikṛta”, khác với các sáng tạo “prākṛta” đã nói trước. Sự xuất hiện của các Kumāra mang tính chất kép, gồm cả hai.

Synonyms

• vaikṛtāḥ: secondary/modified (products of vikṛti)
• vaikṛtāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaikṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम् (adjective)

• trayaḥ: three
• trayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषणम् (numeral adjective)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• ete: these
• ete: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• deva-sargaḥ: the creation of the gods (deva-creation)
• deva-sargaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + sarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive tatpuruṣa: ‘of gods’ + ‘creation’)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• sattama: O best of the good
• sattama: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat-tama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (‘best’ as superlative of ‘good’)

• vaikārikaḥ: the vaikārika (transformational)
• vaikārikaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaikārika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• tu: but/however
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Contrast)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• yaḥ: which/that (who)
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• proktaḥ: is said/declared
• proktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थः (PPP: ‘said/declared’)

• kaumāraḥ: the kaumāra (creation of the Kumāras)
• kaumāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tu: and/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Contrast)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• ubhaya-ātmakaḥ: of a dual nature (both)
• ubhaya-ātmakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ubhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (determinative: ‘of both kinds’ + ‘having the nature’)

Characters & Entities

• Kumāras

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam (Canto 3) say about the creation of the demigods?

This verse states that the deva-sarga (creation of the demigods) is also a vaikṛta creation—arising from transformations of material nature within the cosmic creation process.

Who are the Kumāras in the Bhagavata Purana and what is Kaumāra creation?

Kaumāra refers to the creation connected with the Kumāras (the celibate sages). Here it is described as ubhayātmaka—having a dual character—indicating it relates to more than one aspect of the transformative creation categories being discussed.

How can the teaching about 'transformative creation' be applied in modern spiritual life?

It helps a seeker see the world as a sequence of transformations within prakṛti, encouraging detachment and clearer focus on the unchanging Lord as the ultimate shelter beyond material change.