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Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 28

Avadhūta’s Further Teachers: Detachment, Solitude, One-Pointed Meditation, and the Lord as Āśraya

सृष्ट्वा पुराणि विविधान्यजयात्मशक्त्या वृक्षान् सरीसृपपशून् खगदन्दशूकान् । तैस्तैरतुष्टहृदय: पुरुषं विधाय ब्रह्मावलोकधिषणं मुदमाप देव: ॥ २८ ॥

sṛṣṭvā purāṇi vividhāny ajayātma-śaktyā vṛkṣān sarīsṛpa-paśūn khaga-dandaśūkān tais tair atuṣṭa-hṛdayaḥ puruṣaṁ vidhāya brahmāvaloka-dhiṣaṇaṁ mudam āpa devaḥ

至上人格神扩展自身不可胜的幻力(māyā-śakti),创造无量众生形态以容纳受缚之灵:树木、爬虫、走兽、飞鸟、蛇类等。然而主心仍未满足。继而祂创造人身,赐予足以观照梵(绝对真理)的智慧;于是主乃欢喜。

sṛṣṭvāhaving created
sṛṣṭvā:
Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootsṛj (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया
purāṇibodies / forms
purāṇi:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootpura (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘bodies/cities/forms’ (contextual)
vividhānivarious
vividhāni:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootvividha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (to purāṇi)
ajayā-ātma-śaktyāby his own (Ajā) power
ajayā-ātma-śaktyā:
Karana (करण/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootajayā (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ajayā ātma-śaktyā = by his own power called Ajā/māyā)
vṛkṣāntrees
vṛkṣān:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootvṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन
sarīsṛpa-paśūnreptiles and animals
sarīsṛpa-paśūn:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootsarīsṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + paśu (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः (reptiles and beasts)
khaga-dandaśūkānbirds and serpents
khaga-dandaśūkān:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkhaga (प्रातिपदिक) + dandaśūka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः (birds and serpents)
taiḥby those
taiḥ:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formतृतीया, बहुवचन, पुं/नपुंसक; सर्वनाम
taiḥby those (again)
taiḥ:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formतृतीया, बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति-बल (emphatic repetition)
atuṣṭa-hṛdayaḥunsatisfied at heart
atuṣṭa-hṛdayaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Roota-tuṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (yasya hṛdayaṁ atuṣṭam = whose heart was unsatisfied)
puruṣama person (human)
puruṣam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootpuruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
vidhāyahaving made
vidhāya:
Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvi-dhā (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया (having fashioned/arranged)
brahma-avaloka-dhiṣaṇamwhose intellect is for realizing Brahman
brahma-avaloka-dhiṣaṇam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootbrahman (प्रातिपदिक) + avaloka (प्रातिपदिक) + dhiṣaṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to puruṣam); तत्पुरुषः (brahma-avaloke dhiṣaṇā yasya = whose intellect is for seeing Brahman)
mudamjoy
mudam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootmud (प्रातिपदिक: muda)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
āpaattained
āpa:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootāp (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
devaḥthe Lord / God
devaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdeva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

God has specifically created the human form of life to facilitate the liberation of the conditioned soul. Therefore one who abuses human life prepares his path to hell. As stated in the Vedas, puruṣatve cāvistarām ātmā: “In the human form of life there is good possibility of understanding the eternal soul.” The Vedas also state:

D
Deva (the Supreme Lord)
P
Puruṣa (human being)

FAQs

This verse explains that after creating many life-forms, the Lord became pleased only upon creating the human being, because human intelligence can perceive Brahman—making human life uniquely suited for spiritual realization.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this verse while instructing King Parīkṣit, continuing the teaching that human birth is meant for higher realization beyond sense-based living.

Use human intelligence for self-inquiry and devotion—prioritize spiritual practice (hearing, chanting, remembering the Lord) rather than living only for food, fear, sleep, and mating like lower species.