Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 16

The Lord’s Supervision of Embodiment: Fetal Development, Womb-Suffering, and the Jīva’s Prayer (Garbha-stuti) — and the Trap of Māyā

Devanagari script

ज्ञानं यदेतददधात्कतम: स देवस् त्रैकालिकं स्थिरचरेष्वनुवर्तितांश: । तं जीवकर्मपदवीमनुवर्तमानास् तापत्रयोपशमनाय वयं भजेम ॥ १६ ॥

Transliteration

jñānaṁ yad etad adadhāt katamaḥ sa devas trai-kālikaṁ sthira-careṣv anuvartitāṁśaḥ taṁ jīva-karma-padavīm anuvartamānās tāpa-trayopaśamanāya vayaṁ bhajema

Translation

除至上人格神以遍在的帕拉玛特玛之分身，安住于动与不动诸法之中外，无人能统摄一切；祂贯通过去、现在与未来三时。众生依祂指引而行于业之道路。故为息灭此系缚生存的三重苦恼，我们唯当向祂归依并专一奉事。

Synonyms

• jñānam: knowledge
• jñānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (‘which’)

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘this’

• adadhāt: bestowed/placed
• adadhāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√dhā (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• katamaḥ: which (deity/person)
• katamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: katama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (‘which one among many?’)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• devaḥ: the Lord/god
• devaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• trai-kālikam: pertaining to past-present-future
• trai-kālikam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (‘pertaining to three times’)

• sthira-careṣu: in the immobile and mobile (beings)
• sthira-careṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthira (प्रातिपदिक) + cara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (‘in the stationary and the moving beings’)

• anuvartita-aṁśaḥ: whose portion pervades/follows (all)
• anuvartita-aṁśaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anu-√vṛt (धातु; क्त) + aṁśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘whose portion is pervading/following along’)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• jīva-karma-padavīm: the course of the living being’s karma
• jīva-karma-padavīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva (प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक) + padavī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘the path/track of the jīva’s karma’)

• anuvartamānāḥ: following
• anuvartamānāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-√vṛt (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्यय (Present middle participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘following’

• tāpa-traya-upaśamanāya: for the cessation of the threefold suffering
• tāpa-traya-upaśamanāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक) + upaśamana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘for the pacification of the threefold miseries’)

• vayam: we
• vayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• bhajema: may we worship/serve
• bhajema: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhaj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), उत्तम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Purport

When a conditioned soul is seriously anxious to get out of the influence of the material clutches, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated within him as Paramātmā, gives him this knowledge: “Surrender unto Me.” As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā, “Give up all other engagements. Just surrender unto Me.” It is to be accepted that the source of knowledge is the Supreme Person. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca. The Lord says, “Through Me one gets real knowledge and memory, and one also forgets through Me.” To one who wants to be materially satisfied or who wants to lord it over material nature, the Lord gives the opportunity to forget His service and engage in the so-called happiness of material activities. Similarly, when one is frustrated in lording it over material nature and is very serious about getting out of this material entanglement, the Lord, from within, gives him the knowledge that he has to surrender unto Him; then there is liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Devahuti
• Lord Kapila

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about relief from the threefold miseries (tapa-traya)?

This verse teaches that worship of the Supreme Lord—who pervades all beings and grants timeless spiritual knowledge—brings pacification of the threefold miseries arising from oneself, other beings, and nature.

Why does Devahuti worship Kapila in Canto 3 Chapter 31?

Devahuti recognizes Kapila as the divine source of transcendental knowledge and prays to Him so that, while the jīva moves along the path of karma, devotion to the Lord will calm suffering and lead toward liberation.

Practical application: how can this teaching be used in modern life?

Study timeless spiritual wisdom and apply it through steady devotional practice (bhajana)—remembering the Lord’s presence in all life—so that inevitable stresses and disturbances are met with inner steadiness and reduced suffering.