Shloka 26

Adhyaya 47 — Brahma’s Awakening and the Ninefold Scheme of Creation

Sanskrit

यस्मादर्वाग् व्यवर्तन्त ततोऽर्वाक्‍स्रोतसस्तु ते ।

ते च प्रकाशबहुलास्तमोद्रिक्ता रजो ’धिकाः ॥

Transliteration

yasmād arvāg vyavartanta tato 'rvākstrotasas tu te /

te ca prakāśabahulās tamodriktā rajo 'dhikāḥ ||

Translation

ولأنهم اندفعوا إلى أسفل، سُمّوا لذلك «أرفاك-سروتاس». وهم أيضاً ذوو نورٍ وافر، غير أنّ التامس (tamas) قد ازداد فيهم، مع غلبة الراجس (rajas).

Word by Word

• yasmāt: from which
• yasmāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (Relative pronoun/यद्), Puṃliṅga/napuṃsaka usage, Pañcamī vibhakti (Ablative/पञ्चमी), Ekavacana

• arvāk: downwards
• arvāk: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: arvāk (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, directional adverb (दिग्वाचक)

• vyavartanta: they turned/flowed forth
• vyavartanta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ava-√vṛt (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ lakāra (Imperfect/लङ्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• tataḥ: therefore, from that
• tataḥ: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (ablatival sense)

• arvāk-srotasaḥ: the downward-channelled ones
• arvāk-srotasaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arvāk (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + srotas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa samāsa (तत्पुरुष), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle (निपात)

• te: they
• te: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (Pronoun/सर्वनाम), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• te: they
• te: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction

• prakāśa-bahulāḥ: abounding in light
• prakāśa-bahulāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prakāśa (प्रातिपदिक) + bahula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa samāsa (तत्पुरुष; ‘abundant in light’), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• tamo-driktāḥ: tinged with darkness
• tamo-driktāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक) + drikta (प्रातिपदिक; ‘mixed/tinged’)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa samāsa, Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• rajaḥ: rajas (activity/passion)
• rajaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; understood ‘rajas (is)’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (Neuter), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative), Ekavacana

• adhikāḥ: greater, predominant
• adhikāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; predicative with implied ‘(they are)’

Speakers

• Narratorial cosmology within the Markandeya Purana’s teaching context (frame-speakers not explicit in these verses)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Brahmā

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sarga (Creation)
• Guṇa mixture
• Rajas and tamas in humans

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The human condition is mixed: sufficient light for discernment, yet strong rajas (restlessness) and tamas (inertia). Ethics and spiritual discipline are therefore necessary to steer this mixed constitution.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Sarga: guṇa-description of the arvāk-srotas class.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Downward’ points to immersion in matter; rajas fuels striving and change, tamas anchors embodiment—together they create the tension in which transformation becomes possible.