Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 24

Vidura’s Questions: How the Unchangeable Lord Relates to Māyā; Bhakti as the Remedy; Blueprint for the Coming Cosmology

Devanagari script

यत्र पुत्रैश्च पौत्रैश्च नप्तृभि: सह गोत्रजै: । प्रजा विचित्राकृतय आसन् याभिरिदं ततम् ॥ २४ ॥

Transliteration

yatra putraiś ca pautraiś ca naptṛbhiḥ saha gotrajaiḥ prajā vicitrākṛtaya āsan yābhir idaṁ tatam

Translation

噢我主，我想：以子、孙、曾孙及同族亲属等形态显现的繁衍过程，已以种种形相与物种遍布整个宇宙。

Synonyms

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Relative adverb), अर्थे: ‘where’

• पुत्रैः: with sons
• पुत्रैः: सहकारक (Sahārtha/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण-सह), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction/समुच्चय)

• पौत्रैः: with grandsons
• पौत्रैः: सहकारक (Sahārtha/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction)

• नप्तृभिः: with great-grandsons/descendants
• नप्तृभिः: सहकारक (Sahārtha/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नप्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: सह (Saha)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Preposition-like particle), अर्थे: ‘together with’

• गोत्रजैः: with kinsmen of the lineage
• गोत्रजैः: सहकारक (Sahārtha/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्रज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘born in the same lineage’

• प्रजाः: creatures/offspring
• प्रजाः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• विचित्र-आकृतयः: of diverse forms
• विचित्र-आकृतयः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘विचित्रा आकृतिः’ = of varied forms

• आसन्: were
• आसन्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• याभिः: by which (forms)
• याभिः: करण (Karaṇa/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• इदम्: this (universe)
• इदम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ततम्: spread/pervaded
• ततम्: कर्मणि-भाव (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तत (√तन् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; धातु: √तन् ‘to spread’

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about how the universe becomes populated?

This verse says that through expanding generations—sons, grandsons, and further descendants—variegated living beings appear, and by them the universe becomes filled.

Who is speaking Bhagavatam 3.7.24 and to whom is it spoken?

Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this verse while narrating to King Parīkṣit, continuing the account of creation and the spread of living beings.

Practical application: what does “variegated forms” teach in modern life?

It encourages reverence for life’s diversity—seeing different bodies and species as part of a purposeful cosmic order rather than as meaningless variety.