Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 1

Aditi’s Lament and Kaśyapa’s Instruction of the Payo-vrata (Milk Vow) to Please Keśava

Devanagari script

श्रीशुक उवाच एवं पुत्रेषु नष्टेषु देवमातादितिस्तदा । हृते त्रिविष्टपे दैत्यै: पर्यतप्यदनाथवत् ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-śuka uvāca evaṁ putreṣu naṣṭeṣu deva-mātāditis tadā hṛte tri-viṣṭape daityaiḥ paryatapyad anāthavat

Translation

舒迦提婆·高斯瓦弥说道：大王啊，当阿底提的诸子——诸天——如此从天界消失，而阿修罗夺取了三十三天之位时，天母阿底提便如同失去依怙者一般悲恸哀叹。

Synonyms

• श्रीशुकः: Śrī Śuka
• श्रीशुकः: कर्ता (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + शुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—श्रीमान् शुकः = 'Śrī Śuka'

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्सभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; 'said'

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: प्रकार (Manner adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-वाचक अव्यय (manner adverb): 'thus'

• पुत्रेषु: when the sons
• पुत्रेषु: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; 'when/among the sons'

• नष्टेषु: having been lost
• नष्टेषु: अधिकरण-विशेषण (Locative absolute qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नश् (धातु) → नष्ट (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; 'having perished/lost' (agreeing with 'पुत्रेषु')

• देवमाता: the mother of the gods
• देवमाता: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + माता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—देवानां माता = 'mother of the gods' (epithet of Aditi)

• अदितिः: Aditi
• अदितिः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; proper noun

• तदा: then
• तदा: कालाधिकरण (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-वाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb): 'then'

• हृते: having been seized
• हृते: अधिकरण-विशेषण (Locative absolute qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृ (धातु) → हृत (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; locative absolute with 'त्रिविष्टपे' = 'when heaven was taken away'

• त्रिविष्टपे: in heaven (Svarga)
• त्रिविष्टपे: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिविष्टप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—त्रयाणां विष्टपानां समाहारः/विशेषः = 'the threefold heaven' (i.e., Svarga)

• दैत्यैः: by the demons
• दैत्यैः: कर्तृ (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; 'by the demons'

• पर्यतप्यत्: was distressed
• पर्यतप्यत्: क्रिया (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + तप् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; 'suffered, was distressed'

• अनाथवत्: like one without a protector
• अनाथवत्: प्रकार (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनाथ + वत् (प्रातिपदिक/तद्धित)
• Form: वत्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभाव-प्राय उपमा-अव्यय (adverbial): 'like an orphan'

Characters & Entities

• Aditi
• Daityas

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Aditi’s suffering when the Daityas took heaven?

This verse states that after losing her sons and seeing Svarga seized by the Daityas, Aditi grieved intensely, feeling like one without any protector.

Why is Aditi described as ‘anātha-vat’ (like one without a protector) in Bhagavatam 8.16.1?

Because both her sons (the devas) were overcome and their heavenly kingdom was taken, she experienced helplessness—setting the stage for seeking divine shelter.

Practical application: what can a devotee learn from Aditi’s lamentation?

When worldly supports fail, one can turn sincerely toward spiritual refuge—acknowledging helplessness and seeking the Lord’s protection as the true shelter.