Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 22

The Appearance of Vāmanadeva and His Arrival at Bali’s Sacrifice

Devanagari script

ते ऋत्विजो यजमान: सदस्या हतत्विषो वामनतेजसा नृप । सूर्य: किलायात्युत वा विभावसु: सनत्कुमारोऽथ दिद‍ृक्षया क्रतो: ॥ २२ ॥

Transliteration

te ṛtvijo yajamānaḥ sadasyā hata-tviṣo vāmana-tejasā nṛpa sūryaḥ kilāyāty uta vā vibhāvasuḥ sanat-kumāro ’tha didṛkṣayā kratoḥ

Translation

王啊，因婆摩那天尊光辉炽盛，祭司、作为施主的婆利以及会众诸人都仿佛失却自身光彩；他们便相互询问：是日神亲临，还是火神，抑或善达库玛罗为观祭而来？

Synonyms

• te: they
• te: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• ṛtvijaḥ: priests
• ṛtvijaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtvij (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• yajamānaḥ: the sacrificer (Bali)
• yajamānaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajamāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• sadasyāḥ: the members of the assembly
• sadasyāḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sadasya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• hata-tviṣaḥ: with their luster dimmed
• hata-tviṣaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता) — qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hata (कृदन्त) + tviṣ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; tatpuruṣa: ‘hatā tviṣ yaiḥ/yeṣām’ = whose splendor is struck; qualifying ‘ṛtvijaḥ/yajamānaḥ/sadasyāḥ’ collectively

• vāmana-tejasā: by the splendor of Vāmana
• vāmana-tejasā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāmana (प्रातिपदिक) + tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; tatpuruṣa: ‘vāmana-sya tejas’

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• sūryaḥ: the Sun
• sūryaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• kila: indeed/it is said
• kila: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable particle (निपात), emphasis/reportative

• āyāti: comes
• āyāti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-yā (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; parasmaipada

• uta: or else/and also
• uta: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: uta (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable particle (निपात), alternative/additive

• vā: or
• vā: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable disjunctive particle (विकल्पार्थक निपात)

• vibhāvasuḥ: Agni (the fire-god)
• vibhāvasuḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhāvasu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• sanat-kumāraḥ: Sanatkumāra
• sanat-kumāraḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sanat (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + kumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; karmadhāraya proper name

• atha: then/also
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable conjunction/particle (अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय)

• didṛkṣayā: out of a desire to see
• didṛkṣayā: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛś (धातु) → didṛkṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; abstract noun ‘desire to see’

• kratoḥ: of the sacrifice
• kratoḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kratu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

Characters & Entities

• Vāmana
• Bali Mahārāja
• Sūrya
• Agni (Vibhāvasu)
• Sanat-kumāra

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Vāmana’s divine effulgence?

This verse says Vāmana’s tejas was so overwhelming that the priests, Bali, and the entire assembly appeared to lose their own splendor, as if the Sun or fire-god had arrived.

Why did Sanat-kumāra come to Bali Mahārāja’s sacrifice?

Sanat-kumāra came out of didṛkṣā—eagerness to witness the extraordinary sacrifice where the Supreme Lord (as Vāmana) had appeared.

Practical application of this teaching in modern life?

The verse reminds seekers that worldly brilliance is limited, while divine presence transforms everything—so one should prioritize devotion and sacred association over mere external prestige.