SB 11.22.21 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

चत्वार्येवेति तत्रापि तेज आपोऽन्नमात्मन: । जातानि तैरिदं जातं जन्मावयविन: खलु ॥ २१ ॥

Verse text

catvāry eveti tatrāpi teja āpo ’nnam ātmanaḥ jātāni tair idaṁ jātaṁ janmāvayavinaḥ khalu

Synonyms

catvāri — four ; eva — also ; iti — thus ; tatra — in that case ; api — even ; tejaḥ — fire ; āpaḥ — water ; annam — earth ; ātmanaḥ — from the Self ; jātāni — all arising ; taiḥ — by them ; idam — this cosmos ; jātam — has come about ; janma — the birth ; avayavinaḥ — of the manifest product ; khalu — indeed .

Translation

Some philosophers propose the existence of four basic elements, of which three — fire, water and earth — emanate from the fourth, the Self. Once existing, these elements produce the cosmic manifestation, in which all material creation takes place.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Some philosophers propose the existence of four basic elements, of which three—fire, water and earth—emanate from the fourth, the Lord. By these elements the creation of the products in this universe arose. Annam means earth. Ātmanaḥ means “from Paramātmā.” The creation of products (avayavinaḥ) arose from them.