Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 41

Lord Śiva Bewildered by Mohinī

Viṣṇu’s Yoga-māyā and the Limits of Ascetic Power

Devanagari script

श्रीशुक उवाच एवं भगवता राजन् श्रीवत्साङ्केन सत्कृत: । आमन्‍त्र्य तं परिक्रम्य सगण: स्वालयं ययौ ॥ ४१ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-śuka uvāca evaṁ bhagavatā rājan śrīvatsāṅkena sat-kṛtaḥ āmantrya taṁ parikramya sagaṇaḥ svālayaṁ yayau

Translation

舒迦提婆·高斯瓦弥说：大王啊，如此受到胸有室利瓦萨标志的至上人格神的称赞与礼遇后，湿婆尊者绕行祂以示敬礼；随后禀请许可，便与随从一同返回其居所凯拉萨。

Synonyms

• श्री-शुकः: Śrī Śuka
• श्री-शुकः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-शुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (श्रीमान् शुकः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘thus’

• भगवता: by the Lord
• भगवता: Karana (करण/Instrument; agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• श्रीवत्साङ्केन: by the one bearing the Śrīvatsa mark
• श्रीवत्साङ्केन: Karana (करण/Instrument; ‘by the one marked with Śrīvatsa’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीवत्स-अङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (श्रीवत्सः अङ्के यस्य/श्रीवत्साङ्कः as epithet); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• सत्कृतः: honoured
• सत्कृतः: Karta (कर्ता; subject-qualifier of implied ‘he’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्-कृत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सत् + कृत ‘well-honoured’); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; passive sense ‘was honoured’

• आमन्त्र्य: having taken leave (after addressing)
• आमन्त्र्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-मन्त्र् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having invited/taken leave’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परिक्रम्य: having circumambulated
• परिक्रम्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि-क्रम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having circumambulated’

• सगणः: with his attendants
• सगणः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास (गणेन सह); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वालयम्: to his own abode
• स्वालयम्: Karma (कर्म/Goal as object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वस्य आलयः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks that when Lord Śiva was offering obeisances unto Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu arose and embraced him. Therefore the word śrīvatsāṅkena is used here. The mark of Śrīvatsa adorns the chest of Lord Viṣṇu, and therefore when Lord Viṣṇu embraced Lord Śiva while being circumambulated, the Śrīvatsa mark touched Lord Śiva’s bosom.

Characters & Entities

• Śukadeva Gosvāmī
• King Parīkṣit
• Bhagavān (Śrīvatsa-aṅka)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about circumambulating the Lord (parikrama)?

This verse shows parikrama as a devotional act of reverence—after being blessed by the Lord, the devotee respectfully circumambulates Him before departing.

Why is the Lord described as Śrīvatsa-aṅka in this verse?

Śrīvatsa is a divine mark on the Lord’s chest, identifying Him as Bhagavān (Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa) and emphasizing that the honor received was directly from the Supreme Person.

How can this verse be applied in modern devotional practice?

It teaches devotional etiquette: receive blessings with humility, seek permission before leaving, and offer a final act of respect (such as parikrama or prayer) to keep one’s actions centered on the Lord.