SB 11.14.6 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

तेभ्य: पितृभ्यस्तत्पुत्रा देवदानवगुह्यका: । मनुष्या: सिद्धगन्धर्वा: सविद्याधरचारणा: ॥ ५ ॥ किन्देवा: किन्नरा नागा रक्ष:किम्पुरुषादय: । बह्वयस्तेषां प्रकृतयो रज:सत्त्वतमोभुव: ॥ ६ ॥ याभिर्भूतानि भिद्यन्ते भूतानां पतयस्तथा । यथाप्रकृति सर्वेषां चित्रा वाच: स्रवन्ति हि ॥ ७ ॥

Verse text

tebhyaḥ pitṛbhyas tat-putrā deva-dānava-guhyakāḥ manuṣyāḥ siddha-gandharvāḥ sa-vidyādhara-cāraṇāḥ kindevāḥ kinnarā nāgā rakṣaḥ-kimpuruṣādayaḥ bahvyas teṣāṁ prakṛtayo rajaḥ-sattva-tamo-bhuvaḥ yābhir bhūtāni bhidyante bhūtānāṁ patayas tathā yathā-prakṛti sarveṣāṁ citrā vācaḥ sravanti hi

Synonyms

tebhyaḥ — from them (Bhṛgu Muni, etc.) ; pitṛbhyaḥ — from the forefathers ; tat — their ; putrāḥ — sons, descendants ; deva — the demigods ; dānava — demons ; guhyakāḥ — the Guhyakas ; manuṣyāḥ — human beings ; siddha — gandharvāḥ — Siddhas and Gandharvas ; sa — vidyādhara — cāraṇāḥ — along with Vidyādharas and Cāraṇas ; kindevāḥ — a different human species ; kinnarāḥ — half-humans ; nāgāḥ — snakes ; rakṣaḥ — demons ; kimpuruṣa — an advanced race of monkeys ; ādayaḥ — and so on ; bahvyaḥ — many different ; teṣām — of such living entities ; prakṛtayaḥ — desires or natures ; rajaḥ — sattva — tamaḥ — bhuvaḥ — being generated from the three modes of material nature ; yābhiḥ — by such material desires or tendencies ; bhūtāni — all such living entities ; bhidyante — appear divided in many material forms ; bhūtānām — and their ; patayaḥ — leaders ; tathā — divided in the same way ; yathā — prakṛti — according to propensity or desire ; sarveṣām — of all of them ; citrāḥ — variegated ; vācaḥ — Vedic rituals and mantras ; sravanti — flow down ; hi — certainly .

Translation

From the forefathers headed by Bhṛgu Muni and other sons of Brahmā appeared many children and descendants, who assumed different forms as demigods, demons, human beings, Guhyakas, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, Cāraṇas, Kindevas, Kinnaras, Nāgas, Kimpuruṣas, and so on. All of the many universal species, along with their respective leaders, appeared with different natures and desires generated from the three modes of material nature. Therefore, because of the different characteristics of the living entities within the universe, there are a great many Vedic rituals, mantras and rewards.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

From the forefathers headed by Bhṛgu and other sons of Brahmā appeared many children and descendants, who assumed different forms as devatās, demons, human beings, Guhyakas, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, Cāraṇas, Kindevas, Kinnaras, Nāgas, Kimpuruṣas, and so on. All of the many species, along with their respective leaders, appeared with different desires generated from the three modes of material nature. Therefore, because of the different characteristics of the living entities within the universe, there are many explanations of the meaning of the Vedas. “Then why did many opinions arise?” Eight and a half verses explain this. The seven Prajāpatis and great sages are Bhṛgu, Marīci, Atri, Aṅgirasā, Pulastya, Pulaha and Kratu. Kindeva refers to humans on another island who do not have fatigue, lamentation or bad odor. The doubt arises whether they are human or devatā. Thus they are called kindeva. Kinnaras are somewhat like humans in face or body. Kimpuruṣas are apes who are similar to humans. All these forms have many types of desires arising from rajas, sattva and tamas, by which they are divided into humans, devatās, demons and other forms. Because of the variety, there are many ways of explaining the meaning of the Vedas (citrāḥ vacaḥ).

Purport

If one is curious why Vedic literatures recommend so many different methods of worship and advancement, the answer is given here. Bhṛgu, Marīci, Atri, Aṅgirā, Pulastya, Pulaha and Kratu are the seven great brāhmaṇa sages and forefathers of this universe. The Kindevas are a race of human beings who are, like the demigods, completely free from fatigue, sweat and body odor. Seeing them, one may thus ask, kiṁ devāḥ: “Are they demigods?” Actually, they are human beings living on another planet within the universe. The Kinnaras are so called because they are kiṣcin narāḥ, or “a little like human beings.” The Kinnaras have either a human head or human body (but not both) combined with a nonhuman form. The Kimpuruṣas are so called because they resemble human beings and thus prompt the question kiṁ puruṣāḥ: “Are these human beings?” Actually, they are a race of monkeys who are almost like human beings. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura explains that this verse describes the varieties of forgetfulness of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The different Vedic mantras and rituals are especially meant for the different species of intelligent beings throughout the universe ; but this proliferation of Vedic formulas indicates only the variety of material illusion and not a variety of ultimate purpose. The ultimate purpose of the many Vedic injunctions is one — to know and love the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord Himself is emphatically explaining this to Śrī Uddhava.