Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 3: “The Status Quo”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Ten
SB3.10.18
TEXT 18
sad ime prakrtah sarga
vaikrtan api me srnu
rajo-bhajo bhagavato
lileyam hari-medhasah
SYNONYMS
sat—six; ime—all these; prakrtah—of the material energy; sargah—creations; vaikrtan—secondary creations by Brahma; api—also; me—from me; srnu—just hear; rajah-bhajah—of the incarnation of the mode of passion (Brahma); bhagavatah—of the greatly powerful; lila—pastime; iyam—this; hari—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; medhasah—of one who has such a brain.
TRANSLATION
All the above are natural creations by the external energy of the Lord. Now hear from me about the creations by Brahma, who is an incarnation of the mode of passion and who, in the matter of creation, has a brain like that of the Personality of Godhead.
SB3.10.19
TEXT 19
saptamo mukhya-sargas tu
sad-vidhas tasthusam ca yah
vanaspaty-osadhi-lata-
tvaksara virudho drumah
SYNONYMS
saptamah—the seventh; mukhya—principle; sargah—creation; tu—indeed; sat-vidhah—six kinds of; tasthusam—of those who do not move; ca—also; yah—those; vanaspati—fruit trees without flowers; osadhi—trees and plants existing until the fruit is ripe; lata—creepers; tvaksarah—pipe plants; virudhah—creepers without support; drumah—trees with flowers and fruits.
TRANSLATION
The seventh creation is that of the immovable entities, which are of six kinds: the fruit trees without flowers, trees and plants which exist until the fruit is ripe, creepers, pipe plants, creepers which have no support, and trees with flowers and fruits.
SB3.10.20
TEXT 20
utsrotasas tamah-praya
antah-sparsa visesinah
SYNONYMS
utsrotasah—they seek their subsistence upwards; tamah-prayah—almost unconscious; antah-sparsah—slightly feeling within; visesinah—with varieties of manifestation.
TRANSLATION
All the immovable trees and plants seek their subsistence upwards. They are almost unconscious but have feelings of pain within. They are manifested in variegatedness.
SB3.10.21
TEXT 21
tirascam astamah sargah
so ’stavimsad-vidho matah
avido bhuri-tamaso
ghrana-jna hrdy avedinah
SYNONYMS
tirascam—species of lower animals; astamah—the eighth; sargah—creation; sah—they are; astavimsat—twenty-eight; vidhah—varieties; matah—considered; avidah—without knowledge of tomorrow; bhuri—extensively; tamasah—ignorant; ghrana-jnah—can know desirables by smell; hrdi avedinah—can remember very little in the heart.
TRANSLATION
The eighth creation is that of the lower species of life, and they are of different varieties, numbering twenty-eight. They are all extensively foolish and ignorant. They know their desirables by smell, but are unable to remember anything within the heart.
PURPORT
In the Vedas the symptoms of the lower animals are described as follows: athetaresam pasunah asanapipase evabhivijnanam na vijnatam vadanti na vijnatam pasyanti na viduh svastanam na lokalokav iti; yad va, bhuri-tamaso bahu-rusah ghranenaiva jananti hrdyam prati svapriyam vastv eva vindanti bhojana-sayanady-artham grhnanti. “Lower animals have knowledge only of their hunger and thirst. They have no acquired knowledge, no vision. Their behavior exhibits no dependence on formalities. Extensively ignorant, they can know their desirables only by smell, and by such intelligence only can they understand what is favorable and unfavorable. Their knowledge is concerned only with eating and sleeping.” Therefore, even the most ferocious lower animals, such as tigers, can be tamed simply by regularly supplying meals and accommodations for sleeping. Only snakes cannot be tamed by such an arrangement. SB3.10.22 TEXT 22 gaur ajo mahisah krsnah sukaro gavayo ruruh dvi-saphah pasavas ceme avir ustras ca sattama SYNONYMS gauh—the cow; ajah—the goat; mahisah—the buffalo; krsnah—a kind of stag; sukarah—hog; gavayah—a species of animal; ruruh—deer; dvi-saphah—having two hooves; pasavah—animals; ca—also; ime—all these; avih—lamb; ustrah—camel; ca—and; sattama—O purest. TRANSLATION O purest Vidura, of the lower animals the cow, goat, buffalo, krsna stag, hog, gavaya animal, deer, lamb and camel all have two hooves. SB3.10.23 TEXT 23 kharo ’svo ’svataro gaurah sarabhas camari tatha ete caika-saphah ksattah srnu panca-nakhan pasun SYNONYMS kharah—ass; asvah—horse; asvatarah—mule; gaurah—white deer; sarabhah—bison; camari—wild cow; tatha—thus; ete—all these; ca—and; eka—only one; saphah—hoof; ksattah—O Vidura; srnu—just hear now; panca—five; nakhan—nails; pasun—animals. TRANSLATION The horse, mule, ass, gaura, sarabha bison and wild cow all have only one hoof. Now you may hear from me about the animals who have five nails. SB3.10.24 TEXT 24 sva srgalo vrko vyaghro marjarah sasa-sallakau simhah kapir gajah kurmo godha ca makaradayah SYNONYMS sva—dog; srgalah—jackal; vrkah—fox; vyaghrah—tiger; marjarah—cat; sasa—rabbit; sallakau—sajaru (with thorns on the body); simhah—lion; kapih—monkey; gajah—elephant; kurmah—tortoise; godha—gosapa (snake with four legs); ca—also; makara-adayah—the alligator and others. TRANSLATION The dog, jackal, tiger, fox, cat, rabbit, sajaru, lion, monkey, elephant, tortoise, alligator, gosapa, etc., all have five nails in their claws. They are known as panca-nakhas, or animals having five nails. SB3.10.25 TEXT 25 kanka-grdhra-baka-syena- bhasa-bhalluka-barhinah hamsa-sarasa-cakrahva- kakolukadayah khagah SYNONYMS kanka—heron; grdhra—vulture; baka—crane; syena—hawk; bhasa—the bhasa; bhalluka—the bhalluka; barhinah—the peacock; hamsa—swan; sarasa—the sarasa; cakrahva—the cakravaka; kaka—crow; uluka—owl; adayah—and others; khagah—the birds. TRANSLATION The heron, vulture, crane, hawk, bhasa, bhalluka, peacock, swan, sarasa, cakravaka, crow, owl and others are the birds. SB3.10.26 TEXT 26 arvak-srotas tu navamah ksattar eka-vidho nrnam rajo ’dhikah karma-para duhkhe ca sukha-maninah SYNONYMS arvak—downwards; srotah—passage of food; tu—but; navamah—the ninth; ksattah—O Vidura; eka-vidhah—one species; nrnam—of human beings; rajah—the mode of passion; adhikah—very prominent; karma-parah—interested in working; duhkhe—in misery; ca—but; sukha—happiness; maninah—thinking. TRANSLATION The creation of the human beings, who are of one species only and who stock their eatables in the belly, is the ninth in the rotation. In the human race, the mode of passion is very prominent. Humans are always busy in the midst of miserable life, but they think themselves happy in all respects. PURPORT The human being is more passionate than the animals, and thus the sex life of the human being is more irregular. The animals have their due time for sexual intercourse, but the human being has no regular time for such activities. The human being is endowed with a higher, advanced stage of consciousness for getting relief from the existence of material miseries, but due to his ignorance he thinks that his higher consciousness is meant for advancing in the material comforts of life. Thus his intelligence is misused in the animal propensities—eating, sleeping, defending and mating—instead of spiritual realization. By advancing in material comforts the human being puts himself into a more miserable condition, but, illusioned by the material energy, he always thinks himself happy, even while in the midst of misery. Such misery of human life is distinct from the natural comfortable life enjoyed even by the animals. SB3.10.27 TEXT 27 vaikrtas traya evaite deva-sargas ca sattama vaikarikas tu yah proktah kaumaras tubhayatmakah SYNONYMS vaikrtah—creations of Brahma; trayah—three kinds; eva—certainly; ete—all these; deva-sargah—appearance of the demigods; ca—also; sattama—O good Vidura; vaikarikah—creation of demigods by nature; tu—but; yah—which; proktah—described before; kaumarah—the four Kumaras; tu—but; ubhaya-atmakah—both ways (namely vaikrta and prakrta). TRANSLATION O good Vidura, these last three creations and the creation of demigods (the tenth creation) are vaikrta creations, which are different from the previously described prakrta (natural) creations. The appearance of the Kumaras is both. SB3.10.28-29 TEXTS 28–29 deva-sargas casta-vidho vibudhah pitaro ’surah gandharvapsarasah siddha yaksa-raksamsi caranah bhuta-preta-pisacas ca vidyadhrah kinnaradayah dasaite vidurakhyatah sargas te visva-srk-krtah SYNONYMS deva-sargah—creation of the demigods; ca—also; asta-vidhah—eight kinds; vibudhah—the demigods; pitarah—the forefathers; asurah—the demons; gandharva—the expert artisans in the higher planets; apsarasah—the angels; siddhah—persons who are perfect in mystic powers; yaksa—the superprotectors; raksamsi—giants; caranah—the celestial singers; bhuta—jinn; preta—evil spirits; pisacah—attendant spirits; ca—also; vidyadhrah—the celestial denizens named Vidyadharas; kinnara—superhuman beings; adayah—and others; dasa ete—all these ten (creations); vidura—O Vidura; akhyatah—described; sargah—creations; te—unto you; visva-srk—the creator of the universe (Brahma); krtah—done by him. TRANSLATION The creation of the demigods is of eight varieties: (1) the demigods, (2) the forefathers, (3) the asuras, or demons, (4) the Gandharvas and Apsaras, or angels, (5) the Yaksas and Raksasas, (6) the Siddhas, Caranas and Vidyadharas, (7) the Bhutas, Pretas and Pisacas, and (8) the superhuman beings, celestial singers, etc. All are created by Brahma, the creator of the universe. PURPORT As explained in the Second Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Siddhas are inhabitants of Siddhaloka, where the residents travel in space without vehicles. At their mere will they can pass from one planet to another without difficulty. Therefore, in the upper planets the inhabitants are far superior to the inhabitants of this planet in all matters of art, culture and science, since they possess brains superior to those of human beings. The spirits and jinn mentioned in this connection are also counted among the demigods because they are able to perform uncommon functions not possible for men. SB3.10.30 TEXT 30 atah param pravaksyami vamsan manvantarani ca evam rajah-plutah srasta kalpadisv atmabhur harih srjaty amogha-sankalpa atmaivatmanam atmana SYNONYMS atah—here; param—after; pravaksyami—I shall explain; vamsan—descendants; manvantarani—different advents of Manus; ca—and; evam—thus; rajah-plutah—infused with the mode of passion; srasta—the creator; kalpa-adisu—in different millenniums; atma-bhuh—self-advent; harih—the Personality of Godhead; srjati—creates; amogha—unfailing; sankalpah—determination; atma eva—He Himself; atmanam—Himself; atmana—by His own energy. TRANSLATION Now I shall describe the descendants of the Manus. The creator, Brahma, as the incarnation of the passion mode of the Personality of Godhead, creates the universal affairs with unfailing desires in every millennium by the force of the Lord’s energy. PURPORT The cosmic manifestation is an expansion of one of the many energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; the creator and the created are both emanations of the same Supreme Truth, as stated in the beginning of the Bhagavatam: janmady asya yatah [Bhag. 1.1.1]. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Third Canto, Tenth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Divisions of the Creation.”