Shloka 9

Adhyaya 45 — Jaimini’s Cosmological Questions and the Opening of Markandeya’s Account of Primary Creation

Sanskrit

कथमेतत्समुद्भूतं जगत् स्थावरजङ्गमम् ।

कथञ्च प्रलयङ्काले पुनर्यास्यति सत्तमाः ॥

Transliteration

katham etat samudbhūtaṃ jagat sthāvarajaṅgamam | kathaṃ ca pralayakāle punar yāsyati sattamāḥ ||

Translation

كيف نشأ هذا العالم—ذو المتحرّك والساكن—؟ وعند زمن الانحلال (pralaya)، كيف سيمضي مرةً أخرى إلى منتهاه، إلى الارتداد والامتصاص، يا أفضلَ أهلِ الفضيلة؟

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: प्रश्न (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative adverb: how)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally to 'जगत्'

• समुद्भूतम्: arisen, originated
• समुद्भूतम्: प्रेडिकेट (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + उद् + भू (धातु) → भूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle) agreeing with 'जगत्'

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; nominative singular

• स्थावर-जङ्गमम्: (consisting of) the immobile and the mobile
• स्थावर-जङ्गमम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थावर (प्रातिपदिक) + जङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; here nominative singular agreeing with 'जगत्'; द्वन्द्व: 'स्थावरं च जङ्गमं च'

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: प्रश्न (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक (how)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• प्रलय-काले: at the time of dissolution
• प्रलय-काले: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; locative singular; 'प्रलयस्य कालः'

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (again)

• यास्यति: will go/return
• यास्यति: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सत्तमाः: O best of the good
• सत्तमाः: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तम (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), बहुवचन; vocative plural

Speakers

• Inquirer (Jaimini in the common frame) questioning revered sages

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sarga (creation)
• Pralaya (dissolution)
• Purāṇic inquiry

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Contemplation of origin and dissolution relativizes worldly anxiety: all compounded forms arise and subside; dharma and knowledge are sought against this background of impermanence.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Directly invokes sarga (creation) and pratisarga/pralaya (re-creation/dissolution), two of the central purāṇic characteristics.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Moving and unmoving’ can symbolize the oscillating mind (jaṅgama) and the witnessing ground (sthāvara). Pralaya hints at laya: reabsorption of mental modifications into their source.