Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

पतितो भुव्यसृङ्‌मिश्र: विष्ठाभूरिव चेष्टते । रोरूयति गते ज्ञाने विपरीतां गतिं गत: ॥ २४ ॥

Transliteration

patito bhuvy asṛṅ-miśraḥ viṣṭhā-bhūr iva ceṣṭate rorūyati gate jñāne viparītāṁ gatiṁ gataḥ

Translation

婴儿落在地上，沾满粪秽与血污，像从粪中生出的虫一般扭动。其高妙的觉知消失，在幻力（māyā）的支配下啼哭。

Synonyms

• पतितः: fallen
• पतितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भुवि: on the ground
• भुवि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• असृङ्मिश्रः: mixed with blood
• असृङ्मिश्रः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असृज्/असृक् (प्रातिपदिक) + मिश्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (असृङ्-मिश्रः = रक्तमिश्रितः)

• विष्ठाभूः: a dung-heap/filthy ground
• विष्ठाभूः: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (विष्ठायाः भूः = विष्ठाभूमिः/विष्ठास्थानम्)

• इव: like
• इव: Upama-dyotaka (उपमाद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक (particle of comparison)

• चेष्टते: moves/struggles
• चेष्टते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चेष्ट् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• रोरूयति: cries loudly
• रोरूयति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; देशी/तीव्रार्थे पुनरुक्ति-रूप (rorūyati)

• गते: when (it) has gone
• गते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle) सप्तमी एकवचन नपुंसक/पुं; यहाँ ‘ज्ञाने’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्—सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• ज्ञाने: (his) knowledge/awareness
• ज्ञाने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; लोकेटिव् एब्सोल्यूट (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)

• विपरीताम्: opposite; reversed
• विपरीताम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपरीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गतिम्: state/condition; course
• गतिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गतः: having gone/entered
• गतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the suffering of the soul at death?

This verse describes the embodied being collapsing, smeared with blood, writhing helplessly and crying as awareness fails—illustrating how bodily identification and ignorance bring distress at death.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī describe the dying person as a worm in stool?

To shock the listener out of complacency: the comparison emphasizes the helpless, degraded condition of a jiva absorbed in bodily life, showing how far such consciousness is from the soul’s real auspicious path.

Practical application: how can I avoid this ‘viparīta gati’ (contrary destination) in modern life?

Cultivate remembrance of Bhagavān through bhakti (hearing/chanting), practice detachment from bodily pride, and live with dharma so consciousness at life’s end is steady rather than lost in fear and confusion.