Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 19

Transmission of Bhāgavata Wisdom and Brahmā’s Vision of the Supreme Lord on Ananta

Devanagari script

स इत्थमुद्वीक्ष्य तदब्जनाल- नाडीभिरन्तर्जलमाविवेश । नार्वाग्गतस्तत्खरनालनाल- नाभिं विचिन्वंस्तदविन्दताज: ॥ १९ ॥

Transliteration

sa ittham udvīkṣya tad-abja-nāla- nāḍībhir antar-jalam āviveśa nārvāg-gatas tat-khara-nāla-nāla- nābhiṁ vicinvaṁs tad avindatājaḥ

Translation

梵天如此观想，循莲茎之脉入于水中；纵然趋近毗湿奴之脐，仍不能寻得莲花之根本。

Synonyms

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• उद्वीक्ष्य: having looked
• उद्वीक्ष्य: पूर्वक्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-√ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having looked)

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण (pronominal adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अब्ज-नाल-नाडीभिः: by the channels of the lotus-stalk
• अब्ज-नाल-नाडीभिः: करण (Karana/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्ज (प्रातिपदिक) + नाल (प्रातिपदिक) + नाडी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (determinative) ‘अब्जस्य नालस्य नाड्यः’ (channels of the lotus-stalk); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• अन्तः-जलम्: the inner water
• अन्तः-जलम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तः (अव्यय) + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: अव्ययीभाव (adverbial compound) ‘अन्तर्जलम्’ = within the water; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आविवेश: entered
• आविवेश: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• अर्वाक्-गतः: gone downward
• अर्वाक्-गतः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्वाक् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + गत (√गम्, धातु; क्त)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय ‘अर्वाक् (downward) गतः’; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• खर-नाल-नाल-नाभिम्: the navel with the hard stalk-tube
• खर-नाल-नाल-नाभिम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खर (प्रातिपदिक) + नाल (प्रातिपदिक) + नाल (प्रातिपदिक) + नाभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (determinative), ‘खरं नालं यस्य’ इत्यादि-विशेषणैः नाभिः (navel) निर्दिश्यते; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (नाभि), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• विचिन्वन्: searching
• विचिन्वन्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Agent participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√चि (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अविन्दत्: found
• अविन्दत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-√विद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अजः: Aja (Brahmā)
• अजः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (ब्रह्मा)

Purport

By dint of one’s personal endeavor one may go nearer to the Lord, but without the Lord’s mercy one cannot reach the ultimate point. Such understanding of the Lord is possible only by devotional service, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (18.55) : bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about Brahmā searching for the source of the lotus?

This verse says Brahmā entered the lotus-stalk’s channels into the waters, but even after searching along the hard stem for the navel-source, he could not find it—indicating the Lord’s origin is beyond material investigation.

Why did Brahmā enter the lotus stem in Bhagavatam 3.8?

Brahmā, newly manifested on the lotus, tried to discover the cause of his own appearance by tracing the lotus-stem back to its origin, but his effort did not reveal the ultimate source.

Practical application of this teaching in modern life?

It highlights the limits of mere self-powered inquiry; alongside analysis, one should seek guidance through devotion, humility, and hearing from authentic spiritual sources to understand life’s ultimate origin and purpose.