Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 22

Vidura’s Questions on Devotion and Sarga; Maitreya Begins the Account of Creation

Devanagari script

अथ ते भगवल्लीला योगमायोरुबृंहिता: । विश्वस्थित्युद्भवान्तार्था वर्णयाम्यनुपूर्वश: ॥ २२ ॥

Transliteration

atha te bhagaval-līlā yoga-māyorubṛṁhitāḥ viśva-sthity-udbhavāntārthā varṇayāmy anupūrvaśaḥ

Translation

现在我将依次为你叙述至上主（薄伽梵）的圣戏：祂以瑜伽幻力（Yogamāyā）扩展超越威能，使宇宙得以创造、维持并最终归于消融。

Synonyms

• अथ: now/then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connecting particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक (indeclinable; now/then)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• भगवत्-लीलाः: the Lord's pastimes
• भगवत्-लीलाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक) + लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन (plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भगवतः लीलाः)

• योग-माया-उरु-बृंहिताः: greatly expanded by Yogamāyā
• योग-माया-उरु-बृंहिताः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of भगवत्-लीलाः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + माया (प्रातिपदिक) + उरु (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) + बृंहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √बृंह्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्रायः (योगमायया उरु बृंहिताः = greatly expanded by Yogamāyā)

• विश्व-स्थिति-उद्भव-अन्त-अर्थाः: having the meanings of the universe’s maintenance, creation, and dissolution
• विश्व-स्थिति-उद्भव-अन्त-अर्थाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of भगवत्-लीलाः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य स्थितिः उद्भवः अन्तः—एतेषाम् अर्थाः यस्याः)

• वर्णयामि: I describe
• वर्णयामि: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• अनुपूर्वशः: in order, sequentially
• अनुपूर्वशः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनुपूर्वशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमशः/यथाक्रमम् (adverb)

Purport

The omnipotent Lord, by His different energies, can perform anything and everything He likes. The creation of the cosmic world is done by His yoga-māyā energy.

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• Vidura
• Bhagavan (the Supreme Lord)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the purpose of creation, maintenance, and dissolution?

This verse says these cosmic processes have an inner meaning (artha) that is revealed through the Lord’s own līlā, and Maitreya will explain them in sequence.

Why does Maitreya speak about the Lord’s līlā to Vidura in Canto 3 Chapter 5?

Vidura seeks clear understanding of the Lord’s workings in the cosmos; Maitreya responds by presenting the universe’s origin and purpose as expressions of Bhagavān’s divinely guided līlā, expanded by yogamāyā.

How can “seeing life as līlā” be applied in modern life?

It encourages a devotee to look beyond events as random and instead seek spiritual meaning—cultivating humility, steadiness, and devotion while understanding change (creation, maintenance, dissolution) as part of a higher divine order.