FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.17.12

त्रेतामुखे महाभाग प्राणान्मे हृदयात्‍त्रयी । विद्या प्रादुरभूत्तस्या अहमासं त्रिवृन्मख: ॥ १२ ॥
tretā-mukhe mahā-bhāga
[tretaa-mukhe mahaa-bhaaga]
prāṇān me hṛdayāt trayī
[praanaan me hridayaat trayee]
vidyā prādurabhūt tasyā
[vidyaa praadurabhoot tasyaa]
aham āsaṁ tri-vṛn makhaḥ
[aham aasam tri-vrin makhah]
tretā-mukhe — at the beginning of Tretā-yuga mahā-bhāga — O greatly fortunate one prāṇāt — from the abode of prāṇa, or the life air me — My hṛdayāt — from the heart trayī — the threefold vidyā — Vedic knowledge prādurabhūt — appeared tasyāḥ — from that knowledge aham — I āsam — appeared tri-vṛt — in three divisions makhaḥ — sacrifice.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tretā-mukhe mahā-bhāga
tretā-mukhe
at the beginning of Tretā-yuga
mahā-bhāga
O greatly fortunate one
prāṇān me hṛdayāt trayī
prāṇāt
from the abode of prāṇa, or the life air
me
My
hṛdayāt
from the heart
trayī
the threefold
vidyā prādurabhūt tasyā
vidyā
Vedic knowledge
prādurabhūt
appeared
tasyāḥ
from that knowledge
aham āsaṁ tri-vṛn makhaḥ
aham
I
āsam
appeared
tri-vṛt
in three divisions
makhaḥ
sacrifice.
O greatly fortunate one, at the beginning of Tretā-yuga Vedic knowledge appeared from My heart, which is the abode of the air of life, in three divisions — as Ṛg, Sāma and Yajur. Then from that knowledge I appeared as threefold sacrifice.

In Tretā-yuga, the bull of religion loses one leg, and only seventy-five percent of religious principles are manifested, represented by the three principal Vedas — Ṛg, Sāma and Yajur. The Lord appears in the process of threefold Vedic sacrifice. The three divisions are understood as follows. The hotā priest offers oblations into the fire and chants the Ṛg Veda; the udgātā priest chants the Sāma Veda; and the adhvaryu priest, who arranges the sacrificial ground, altar, etc., chants the Yajur Veda. In Tretā-yuga such sacrifice is the authorized process for spiritual perfection. The word prāṇāt in this verse refers to the universal form of the Personality of Godhead. This form is further described in the following verses.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O greatly fortunate Uddhava! In the beginning of Tretā-yuga, Vedic knowledge appeared from my heart, via the prāṇa, in three divisions—as Ṛg, Sāma and Yajur. Then, from that knowledge I appeared as threefold sacrifice. In the universal form, from the prāṇa, coming from the heart, arose the three Vedas. From the three Vedas arose the three aspects of sacrifice in relation to the hotā, adhvaryu and udgatā priests.
At Tretā-yuga's start, Vedic knowledge appeared from the Lord's heart as Ṛg, Sāma, Yajur, and He appeared as threefold sacrifice. Knowledge and ritual emerge together as a coordinated response to a new age.
Reflection Questions
  • What knowledge has emerged in my life that I have not yet matched with practice?
  • What 'sacrifice' would integrate it?
📝 My note

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