Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.12.45
Visarga· Brahmā's creationVedic Literary Forms Manifest From Prajāpati
“Thereafter the art of literary expression, uṣṇik, was generated from the hairs on the body of the almighty Prajāpati. The principal Vedic hymn, gāyatrī, was generated from the skin, triṣṭup from the flesh, anuṣṭup from the veins, and jagatī from the bones of the lord of the living entities.”
What the purport teaches
- The art of literary expression, uṣṇik, was generated from the hairs on the body of the almighty Prajāpati.
- The principal Vedic hymn, gāyatrī, was generated from his skin. Triṣṭup was generated from his flesh.
- Anuṣṭup was generated from his veins, and jagatī from his bones.
Try this today
Write down the five literary forms named in the translation, each beside its stated source.
Ask yourself
How does this description deepen my appreciation of the origins of Vedic literary expression?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.