tebhyaḥ pitá¹›bhyas tat-putrÄ
deva-dÄnava-guhyakÄḥ
manuá¹£yÄḥ siddha-gandharvÄḥ
sa-vidyÄdhara-cÄraṇÄḥ
kindevÄḥ kinnarÄ nÄgÄ
raká¹£aḥ-kimpuruá¹£Ädayaḥ
bahvyas teá¹£Äá¹ praká¹›tayo
rajaḥ-sattva-tamo-bhuvaḥ
yÄbhir bhÅ«tÄni bhidyante
bhÅ«tÄnÄá¹ patayas tathÄ
yathÄ-praká¹›ti sarveá¹£Äá¹
citrÄ vÄcaḥ sravanti hi
tebhyaḥ - from them (Bhá¹›gu Muni, etc.); pitá¹›bhyaḥ - from the forefathers; tat - their; putrÄḥ - sons, descendants; deva - the demigods; dÄnava - demons; guhyakÄḥ - the Guhyakas; manuá¹£yÄḥ - human beings; siddha-gandharvÄḥ - Siddhas and Gandharvas; sa-vidyÄdhara-cÄraṇÄḥ - along with VidyÄdharas and CÄraṇas; kindevÄḥ - a different human species; kinnarÄḥ - half-humans; nÄgÄḥ - snakes; raká¹£aḥ - demons; kimpuruá¹£a - an advanced race of monkeys; Ädayaḥ - and so on; bahvyaḥ - many different; teá¹£Äm - of such living entities; praká¹›tayaḥ - desires or natures; rajaḥ-sattva-tamaḥ-bhuvaḥ - being generated from the three modes of material nature; yÄbhiḥ - by such material desires or tendencies; bhÅ«tÄni - all such living entities; bhidyante - appear divided in many material forms; bhÅ«tÄnÄm - and their; patayaḥ - leaders; tathÄ - divided in the same way; yathÄ-praká¹›ti - according to propensity or desire; sarveá¹£Äm - of all of them; citrÄḥ - variegated; vÄcaḥ - Vedic rituals and mantras; sravanti - flow down; hi - certainly.
From the forefathers headed by Bhá¹›gu Muni and other sons of BrahmÄ appeared many children and descendants, who assumed different forms as demigods, demons, human beings, Guhyakas, Siddhas, Gandharvas, VidyÄdharas, CÄraṇas, Kindevas, Kinnaras, NÄgas, Kimpuruá¹£as, and so on. All of the many universal species, along with their respective leaders, appeared with different natures and desires generated from the three modes of material nature. Therefore, because of the different characteristics of the living entities within the universe, there are a great many Vedic rituals, mantras and rewards.
If one is curious why Vedic literatures recommend so many different methods of worship and advancement, the answer is given here. Bhá¹›gu, MarÄ«ci, Atri, Aá¹…girÄ, Pulastya, Pulaha and Kratu are the seven great brÄhmaṇa sages and forefathers of this universe. The Kindevas are a race of human beings who are, like the demigods, completely free from fatigue, sweat and body odor. Seeing them, one may thus ask, kiá¹ devÄḥ: “Are they demigods?†Actually, they are human beings living on another planet within the universe. The Kinnaras are so called because they are kiñcin narÄḥ, or “a little like human beings.†The Kinnaras have either a human head or human body (but not both) combined with a nonhuman form. The Kimpuruá¹£as are so called because they resemble human beings and thus prompt the question kiá¹ puruá¹£Äḥ: “Are these human beings?†Actually, they are a race of monkeys who are almost like human beings.
ÅšrÄ«la BhaktisiddhÄnta SarasvatÄ« ṬhÄkura explains that this verse describes the varieties of forgetfulness of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The different Vedic mantras and rituals are especially meant for the different species of intelligent beings throughout the universe; but this proliferation of Vedic formulas indicates only the variety of material illusion and not a variety of ultimate purpose. The ultimate purpose of the many Vedic injunctions is one — to know and love the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord Himself is emphatically explaining this to ÅšrÄ« Uddhava.
