Shloka 40

Kāla-vibhāga: The Divisions of Time from Atom to Brahmā, and the Lord Beyond Time

Devanagari script

विकारै: सहितो युक्तैर्विशेषादिभिरावृत: । आण्डकोशो बहिरयं पञ्चाशत्कोटिविस्तृत: ॥ ४० ॥

Transliteration

vikāraiḥ sahito yuktair viśeṣādibhir āvṛtaḥ āṇḍakośo bahir ayaṁ pañcāśat-koṭi-vistṛtaḥ

Translation

Vũ trụ-hình cầu này, hợp thành bởi các biến hóa của tám yếu tố vật chất và được bao bọc bởi những lớp như viśeṣa v.v., bành trướng ra phía ngoài đến năm mươi koṭi yojana.

Synonyms

• विकारैः: with transformations
• विकारैः: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vikāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सहितः: accompanied
• सहितः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahita (प्रातिपदिक; √sah + क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त-प्राय (past participial adjective); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण = accompanied

• युक्तैः: joined/connected
• युक्तैः: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yukta (प्रातिपदिक; √yuj + क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• विशेष-आदिभिः: with (elements) beginning with viśeṣa
• विशेष-आदिभिः: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विशेषः आदिः येषां ते = beginning with viśeṣa); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• आवृतः: covered/enclosed
• आवृतः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√vṛ (वृ धातु) + क्त
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण = covered/enclosed

• आण्ड-कोशः: the cosmic egg-shell
• आण्ड-कोशः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + kośa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (आण्डस्य कोशः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) = outside

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पञ्चाशत्-कोटि-विस्तृतः: expanded to fifty crores (yojanas)
• पञ्चाशत्-कोटि-विस्तृतः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcāśat (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + vistṛta (प्रातिपदिक; vi-√stṛ + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (परिमाणवाचक: पञ्चाशत् कोटिभिः विस्तृतः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Purport

As explained before, the entire material world is a display of sixteen diversities and eight material elements. The analytical studies of the material world are the subject matter of Sāṅkhya philosophy. The first sixteen diversities are the eleven senses and five sense objects, and the eight elements are the gross and subtle matter, namely earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and ego. All these combined together are distributed throughout the entire universe, which extends diametrically to four billion miles. Besides this universe of our experience, there are innumerable other universes. Some of them are bigger than the present one, and all of them are clustered together under similar material elements as described below.

Characters & Entities

• Śukadeva Gosvāmī
• Mahārāja Parīkṣit

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the āṇḍakośa (universal egg) and its size?

In Canto 3, Chapter 11, this verse states that the universe’s outer shell (āṇḍakośa), covered by material transformations and elemental distinctions, extends for fifty crores in breadth (traditionally expressed in yojanas).

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī describe cosmic measurements to Mahārāja Parīkṣit in Canto 3?

Śukadeva explains time and creation to show how the material cosmos is structured and limited, helping Parīkṣit focus on the Supreme Lord beyond matter and cultivate detachment and devotion.

What is the practical application of Bhagavatam cosmology in modern life?

It encourages humility and perspective—seeing the vast yet temporary material universe as a covered realm of change, and prioritizing bhakti (devotion) to the eternal Lord over fleeting material pursuits.