SB 5.15.6 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

भूम्न ऋषिकुल्यायामुद्गीथस्तत: प्रस्तावो देवकुल्यायां प्रस्तावान्नियुत्सायां हृदयज आसीद्विभुर्विभो रत्यां च पृथुषेणस्तस्मान्नक्त आकूत्यां जज्ञे नक्ताद्‍द्रुतिपुत्रो गयो राजर्षिप्रवर उदारश्रवा अजायत साक्षाद्भ‍गवतो विष्णोर्जगद्रिरक्षिषया गृहीतसत्त्वस्य कलाऽऽत्मवत्त्वादिलक्षणेन महापुरुषतां प्राप्त: ॥ ६ ॥

Verse text

bhūmna ṛṣikulyāyām udgīthas tataḥ prastāvo devakulyāyāṁ prastāvān niyutsāyāṁ hṛdayaja āsīd vibhur vibho ratyāṁ ca pṛthuṣeṇas tasmān nakta ākūtyāṁ jajṣe naktād druti-putro gayo rājarṣi-pravara udāra-śravā ajāyata sākṣād bhagavato viṣṇor jagad-rirakṣiṣayā gṛhīta-sattvasya kalātmavattvādi-lakṣaṇena mahā-puruṣatāṁ prāptaḥ.

Synonyms

bhūmnaḥ — from King Bhūmā ; ṛṣi — kulyāyām — in the womb of his wife, named Ṛṣikulyā ; udgīthaḥ — the son named Udgītha ; tataḥ — again from King Udgītha ; prastāvaḥ — the son named Prastāva ; deva — kulyāyām — his wife, named Devakulyā ; prastāvāt — from King Prastāva ; niyutsāyām — in his wife, named Niyutsā ; hṛdaya — jaḥ — the son ; āsīt — was begotten ; vibhuḥ — named Vibhu ; vibhoḥ — from King Vibhu ; ratyām — in his wife, named Ratī ; ca — also ; pṛthu — ṣeṇaḥ — named Pṛthuṣeṇa ; tasmāt — from him (King Pṛthuṣeṇa) ; naktaḥ — a son named Nakta ; ākūtyām — in his wife, named Ākūti ; jajṣe — was begotten ; naktāt — from King Nakta ; druti — putraḥ — a son in the womb of Druti ; gayaḥ — named King Gaya ; rāja — ṛṣi — pravaraḥ — most exalted among the saintly royal order ; udāra — śravāḥ — famous as a very pious king ; ajāyata — was born ; sākṣāt bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly ; viṣṇoḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu ; jagat — rirak — ṣiṣayā — for the purpose of giving protection to the whole world ; gṛhīta — who is conceived ; sattvasya — in the śuddha-sattva qualities ; kalā — ātma — vattva — ādi — of being a direct incarnation of the Lord ; lakṣaṇena — by symptoms ; mahā — puruṣatām — the chief quality of being the leader of the human society (exactly like the chief leader of all living beings, Lord Viṣṇu) ; prāptaḥ — achieved .

Translation

In the womb of his wife, Ṛṣikulyā, King Bhūmā begot a son named Udgītha. From Udgītha’s wife, Devakulyā, a son named Prastāva was born, and Prastāva begot a son named Vibhu through his wife, Niyutsā. In the womb of his wife, Ratī, Vibhu begot a son named Pṛthuṣeṇa. Pṛthuṣeṇa begot a son named Nakta in the womb of his wife, named Ākūti. Nakta’s wife was Druti, and from her womb the great King Gaya was born. Gaya was very famous and pious; he was the best of saintly kings. Lord Viṣṇu and His expansions, who are meant to protect the universe, are always situated in the transcendental mode of goodness, known as viśuddha-sattva. Being the direct expansion of Lord Viṣṇu, King Gaya was also situated in the viśuddha-sattva. Because of this, Mahārāja Gaya was fully equipped with transcendental knowledge. Therefore he was called Mahāpuruṣa.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

In the womb of his wife Ṛṣikulyā, King Bhūmā begot a son named Udgītha. From Udgītha's wife, Devakulyā, a son named Prastāva was born, and Prastāva begot a son named Vibhu through his wife, Niyutsā. In the womb of his wife, Ratī, Vibhu begot a son named Pṛthuṣeṇa. Pṛthuṣeṇa begot a son named Nakta in the womb of his wife, named Ākūti. Nakta's wife was Druti, and from her womb the great King Gaya was born. Gaya, the best saintly king of great fame, was a portion of Viṣṇu, situated in viśuddha-sattva, who appeared for protecting the universe. He was a great personality with symptoms such as knowledge of the Lord. Hṛdaya-jaḥ means a son. Kalā here means a portion of a portion.

Purport

From this verse it appears that the incarnations of God are various. Some are part and parcel of the direct expansions, and some are direct expansions of Lord Viṣṇu. A direct incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is called aṁśa or svāṁśa, whereas an incarnation from aṁśa is called kalā. Among the kalās there are the vibhinnāṁśa-jīvas, or living entities. These are counted among the jīva-tattvas. Those who come directly from Lord Viṣṇu are called viṣṇu-tattva and are sometimes designated as Mahāpuruṣa. Another name for Kṛṣṇa is Mahāpuruṣa, and a devotee is sometimes called mahā-pauruṣika.