FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.18.13

तं वटुं वामनं द‍ृष्ट्वा मोदमाना महर्षय: । कर्माणि कारयामासु: पुरस्कृत्य प्रजापतिम् ॥ १३ ॥
taṁ vaṭuṁ vāmanaṁ dṛṣṭvā
[tam vatum vaamanam drishtvaa]
modamānā maharṣayaḥ
[modamaanaa maharshayah]
karmāṇi kārayām āsuḥ
[karmaani kaarayaam aasuh]
puraskṛtya prajāpatim
[puraskritya prajaapatim]
Word-for-word
tam — Him vaṭum — the brahmacārī vāmanam — dwarf dṛṣṭvā — seeing modamānāḥ — in a happy mood mahā-ṛṣayaḥ — the great saintly persons karmāṇi — ritualistic ceremonies kārayām āsuḥ — performed puraskṛtya — keeping in front prajāpatim — Kaśyapa Muni, the Prajāpati.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
taṁ vaṭuṁ vāmanaṁ dṛṣṭvā
tam
Him
vaṭum
the brahmacārī
vāmanam
dwarf
dṛṣṭvā
seeing
modamānā maharṣayaḥ
modamānāḥ
in a happy mood
mahā-ṛṣayaḥ
the great saintly persons
karmāṇi kārayām āsuḥ
karmāṇi
ritualistic ceremonies
kārayām āsuḥ
performed
puraskṛtya prajāpatim
puraskṛtya
keeping in front
prajāpatim
Kaśyapa Muni, the Prajāpati.
When the great sages saw the Lord as the brahmacārī-dwarf Vāmana, they were certainly very pleased. Thus they placed before them Kaśyapa Muni, the Prajāpati, and performed all the ritualistic ceremonies, such as the birthday ceremony.
Purport

According to Vedic civilization, when a child is born in the family of a brāhmaṇa, the birthday ceremony, known as jāta-karma, is first performed, and then other ceremonies are also gradually performed. But when this vāmana-rūpa appeared in the form of a vaṭu, or brahmacārī, His sacred thread ceremony was also performed immediately.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The great sages, seeing the brahmacārī-dwarf Vāmana, joyfully putting Kaśyapa in front, had him perform the saṁskāras. Karmāṇi refers to saṁskāras like hair cutting and giving the thread.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The sages, seeing Vāmana, performed His birthday ceremony and sacred-thread ceremony immediately. Even an incarnation undergoes saṁskāras. Ritual is honored, not skipped, even when the divine doesn't strictly need it.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I skip saṁskāras for myself or family, reasoning that they are merely formal?
  • What does it teach me that even the Lord submits to the proper ceremonies?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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