Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 7

Aditi’s Payo-vrata and Viṣṇu’s Promise to Appear as Her Son

Prelude to Vāmana

Devanagari script

प्रीत्या शनैर्गद्गदया गिरा हरिं तुष्टाव सा देव्यदिति: कुरूद्वह । उद्वीक्षती सा पिबतीव चक्षुषा रमापतिं यज्ञपतिं जगत्पतिम् ॥ ७ ॥

Transliteration

prītyā śanair gadgadayā girā hariṁ tuṣṭāva sā devy aditiḥ kurūdvaha udvīkṣatī sā pibatīva cakṣuṣā ramā-patiṁ yajña-patiṁ jagat-patim

Translation

噢，俱卢族之杰！女神阿底提满怀爱敬，以哽咽之声缓缓赞颂诃利。她凝望主宰，仿佛以双眼啜饮那位吉祥天女之夫、祭祀之主、宇宙之主。

Synonyms

• प्रीत्या: with love
• प्रीत्या: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• शनैः: slowly, gently
• शनैः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — adverb

• गद्गदया: with a faltering (choked)
• गद्गदया: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गद्गद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — agrees with ‘गिरा’ (instrumental)

• गिरा: by speech/voice
• गिरा: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिर्/गीर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• हरिम्: Hari
• हरिम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• तुष्टाव: praised
• तुष्टाव: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘praised’

• सा: she
• सा: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन — Pronoun ‘she’

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन — apposition to ‘अदितिः’

• अदितिः: Aditi
• अदितिः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• कुरूद्वह: O best of the Kurus
• कुरूद्वह: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु-उद्वह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (आह्वान), एकवचन — Vocative singular; तत्पुरुष: ‘कुरूणाम् उद्वहः’

• उद्वीक्षती: looking up at
• उद्वीक्षती: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्यय (Present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘while looking’

• सा: she
• सा: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘she’ (repeated)

• पिबती: as if drinking
• पिबती: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्यय (Present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘as if drinking’

• इव: as if
• इव: सम्बन्ध (Comparison marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमा-निपात — particle of comparison

• चक्षुषा: with (her) eyes
• चक्षुषा: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• रमापतिम्: husband of Ramā (Lakṣmī)
• रमापतिम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रमा-पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — ‘रमायाः पतिः’

• यज्ञपतिम्: lord of sacrifice
• यज्ञपतिम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ-पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — ‘यज्ञस्य पतिः’

• जगत्पतिम्: lord of the world
• जगत्पतिम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत्-पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — ‘जगतः पतिः’

Purport

After observing the payo-vrata, Aditi was certain that the Lord had appeared before her as Ramā-pati, the husband of all good fortune, just to offer her sons all opulences. She had performed the yajña of payo-vrata under the direction of her husband, Kaśyapa, and therefore she thought of the Lord as Yajña-pati. She was completely satisfied to see the master and Lord of the entire universe come before her to fulfill her desire.

Characters & Entities

• Aditi
• Hari
• Lakṣmī (Ramā)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about praying to Vishnu with deep emotion?

This verse describes Aditi praising Hari with a voice choked by devotion, showing that sincere, love-filled prayer is a natural expression of bhakti.

Why did Aditi offer prayers to Hari in Bhagavatam Canto 8 Chapter 17?

In this narrative Aditi approaches Lord Viṣṇu with devotion, seeking His shelter and grace; her heartfelt stuti is part of her appeal for divine help and protection.

Practical application of devotion (bhakti) shown in this shloka in modern life?

Pray slowly and attentively, letting gratitude and surrender guide your words—devotion is measured by sincerity and absorption, not by display.