FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.10.21

तिरश्चामष्टम: सर्ग: सोऽष्टाविंशद्विधो मत: । अविदो भूरितमसो घ्राणज्ञा ह्यद्यवेदिन: ॥ २१ ॥
tiraścām aṣṭamaḥ sargaḥ
[tirashchaam ashtamah sargah]
so ’ṣṭāviṁśad-vidho mataḥ
[so ’shtaavimshad-vidho matah]
avido bhūri-tamaso
[avido bhoori-tamaso]
ghrāṇa-jñā hṛdy avedinaḥ
[ghraana-jnaa hridy avedinah]
tiraścām — species of lower animals aṣṭamaḥ — the eighth sargaḥ — creation saḥ — they are aṣṭāviṁśat — twenty-eight vidhaḥ — varieties mataḥ — considered avidaḥ — without knowledge of tomorrow bhūri — extensively tamasaḥ — ignorant ghrāṇa-jñāḥ — can know desirables by smell hṛdi avedinaḥ — can remember very little in the heart.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tiraścām aṣṭamaḥ sargaḥ
tiraścām
species of lower animals
aṣṭamaḥ
the eighth
sargaḥ
creation
so ’ṣṭāviṁśad-vidho mataḥ
saḥ
they are
avido bhūri-tamaso
aṣṭāviṁśat
twenty-eight
vidhaḥ
varieties
mataḥ
considered
ghrāṇa-jñā hṛdy avedinaḥ
avidaḥ
without knowledge of tomorrow
bhūri
extensively
tamasaḥ
ignorant
ghrāṇa-jñāḥ
can know desirables by smell
hṛdi avedinaḥ
can remember very little in the heart.
The eighth creation is that of the lower species of life, and they are of different varieties, numbering twenty-eight. They are all extensively foolish and ignorant. They know their desirables by smell, but are unable to remember anything within the heart.

In the Vedas the symptoms of the lower animals are described as follows: athetareṣāṁ paśūnāḥ aśanāpipāse evābhivijñānaṁ na vijñātaṁ vadanti na vijñātaṁ paśyanti na viduḥ śvastanaṁ na lokālokāv iti; yad vā, bhūri-tamaso bahu-ruṣaḥ ghrāṇenaiva jānanti hṛdyaṁ prati svapriyaṁ vastv eva vindanti bhojana-śayanādy-arthaṁ gṛhṇanti. “Lower animals have knowledge only of their hunger and thirst. They have no acquired knowledge, no vision. Their behavior exhibits no dependence on formalities. Extensively ignorant, they can know their desirables only by smell, and by such intelligence only can they understand what is favorable and unfavorable. Their knowledge is concerned only with eating and sleeping.” Therefore, even the most ferocious lower animals, such as tigers, can be tamed simply by regularly supplying meals and accommodations for sleeping. Only snakes cannot be tamed by such an arrangement.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The eighth creation is that of entities which distribute their nourishment horizontally and are of twenty-eight varieties. They have no concept of the future, are preoccupied only with food, understand their needs by smell, and are devoid of lengthy deliberation. Their nourishment is distributed horizontally. They are devoid of the knowledge of tomorrow, or future (avidaḥ). They are fixed in obtaining food only (bhuritamasaḥ). They understand what they want by smell. They are devoid of lengthy deliberation or meager power of reflection. Śruti says: athetareṣāṁ paśūnāṁ aśanāpipāse evābhivijñānaṁ na vijñātaṁ vadanti na vijñātaṁ paśyanti na viduḥ śvastanaṁ na lokālokau Among the animals there is only knowledge of eating and drinking. They do not speak of what they discern, they do not inspect what they discern, they do not know tomorrow, they do not know the world and the next world. Bhuri-tamasaḥ can also mean that they have great anger. Ghrāṇa-jñāḥ hṛdi can mean that they experience only objects dear to their heart. They are aware of eating and sleeping.
The verse describes layered cosmic machinery — modes, elements, governing demigods — to remind us that even our 'private' lives are arranged by larger hands.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have you been demanding outcomes from a system you did not design?
  • Which 'cosmic' problem are you trying to solve when your actual task is just to play your small part well?
📝 My note

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