Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 25

Brahmā’s Secondary Creation, Kāla (Eternal Time), and the Taxonomy of Species

Devanagari script

कङ्कगृधबकश्येनभासभल्लूकबर्हिण: । हंससारसचक्राह्वकाकोलूकादय: खगा: ॥ २५ ॥

Transliteration

kaṅka-gṛdhra-baka-śyena- bhāsa-bhallūka-barhiṇaḥ haṁsa-sārasa-cakrāhva- kākolūkādayaḥ khagāḥ

Translation

苍鹭、秃鹫、鹤、鹰、婆娑鸟、婆罗迦、孔雀、天鹅、沙罗娑、查克拉婆迦、乌鸦、猫头鹰等，皆为飞禽。

Synonyms

• kaṅka-gṛdhra-baka-śyena-bhāsa-bhallūka-barhiṇaḥ: kanka, vulture, crane, hawk, kite, owl, peacock
• kaṅka-gṛdhra-baka-śyena-bhāsa-bhallūka-barhiṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṅka (प्रातिपदिक) + gṛdhra (प्रातिपदिक) + baka (प्रातिपदिक) + śyena (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhallūka (प्रातिपदिक) + barhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुपद-द्वन्द्व-समास (list of birds)

• haṁsa-sārasa-cakrāhva-kākolūkādayaḥ: swans, cranes, cakravāka birds, crows/owls and others
• haṁsa-sārasa-cakrāhva-kākolūkādayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṁsa (प्रातिपदिक) + sārasa (प्रातिपदिक) + cakrāhva (प्रातिपदिक) + kākolūka (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; (haṁsa+sārasa+cakrāhva+kākolūka) द्वन्द्व + ādi-तत्पुरुष ('and others')

• khagāḥ: birds
• khagāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the varieties of birds in creation?

In Canto 3, Chapter 10, this verse lists many kinds of birds—heron, vulture, crane, hawk, peacock, swan, cakravāka, crow, owl, and others—showing the vast diversity manifested in creation.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī enumerate different species like birds to King Parīkṣit?

Śukadeva is describing the divisions and categories within creation, helping Parīkṣit understand how the Lord’s creative energies manifest innumerable forms of life.

How can this Bhagavatam verse about different birds be applied in modern life?

It encourages reverence for biodiversity and humility—recognizing all species as part of the Lord’s ordered creation rather than viewing nature as merely exploitable.