1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter
Canto

Canto 3 · The Status Quo · 33 chapters

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
  3. 3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
  4. 4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
  5. 5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
  6. 6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›
Canto 3 · Chapter 12: Creation of the Kumāras and Others
3.12.543.12.56

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.12.55

Visarga· Brahmā's creation
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Maitreya Ṛṣisince 3.12.37inside 3 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King ParīkṣitMaitreya Ṛṣi → Vidura

तदा मिथुनधर्मेण प्रजा ह्येधाम्बभूविरे ॥ ५५ ॥

tadā mithuna-dharmeṇa

prajā hy edhām babhūvire

Translation

Thereafter, by sex indulgence, they gradually increased generations of population one after another.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Population Increases Generation After Generation

  1. 1

    The population increased through their sexual union.

  2. 2

    This increase took place gradually.

  3. 3

    Generations of population followed one after another.

How it feels

Mystery → Cosmic wonder. The origin of the world is revealed through inquiry and divine grace.

Chapters 5–12 of Canto 3: Creation and Brahmā's bewilderment. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 12: Creation of the Kumāras and Others

Brahmā’s creation continues with sages, Rudra, sacrificial practices, religious principles, and further forms of life.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.12
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tadāat that time
  2. mithunasex life
  3. dharmeṇaaccording to regulative principles
  4. prajāḥgenerations
  5. hicertainly
  6. edhāmincreased
  7. babhūviretook place
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Visarga · Subcreation

    How do living beings and their worlds appear? · Subject 2 of 10

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does the word “gradually” help you notice about this account of population growth?

Practice

Write a short summary using the phrase “one generation after another.”

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayPopulation Increases Generation After GenerationThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 3.12.55? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
  1. Learn
  2. Live
  3. Lead
Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories