Shloka 59

Adhyaya 74 — King Svarashtra, the Deer-Queen’s Curse, and the Rise of Tamasa Manu

Sanskrit

ज्योतिर्धर्मा पृथुः काव्यश्चैत्रोऽग्निर्वलकस्तथा ।

पीवरश्च तथा ब्रह्मन् ! सप्त सप्तर्षयोऽभवन् ॥

Transliteration

jyotirdharmā pṛthuḥ kāvyaścaitro 'gnirvalakastathā / pīvaraśca tathā brahman ! sapta saptarṣayo 'bhavan

Translation

جيوتِس (Jyotis)، ودهرما (Dharma)، وبريثو (Pṛthu)، وكافيا (Kāvya)، وتشيترا (Caitra)، وأغني (Agni)، وفالاكا (Valaka)، وكذلك بيفارا (Pīvara)—هؤلاء هم السابتَرِشي السبعة (Saptarṣis)، أيها البرهمن.

Word by Word

• jyotiḥ: Jyotis (name)
• jyotiḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyotis (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• dharmā: Dharma (name)
• dharmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम

• pṛthuḥ: Pṛthu (name)
• pṛthuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम

• kāvyaḥ: Kāvya (name)
• kāvyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāvya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• caitraḥ: Caitra (name)
• caitraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम

• agniḥ: Agni (name)
• agniḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम

• valakaḥ: Valaka (name)
• valakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: valaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम

• tathā: also
• tathā: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘also’

• pīvaraḥ: Pīvara (name)
• pīvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pīvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• tathā: also
• tathā: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘also’

• brahman: O Brahman (O sage)
• brahman: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; address to a sage/priest

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Karta (कर्ता) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्राय संख्याशब्द; here used as विशेषण; प्रथमा, बहुवचन (agreeing with saptarṣayaḥ)

• sapta-ṛṣayaḥ: the Seven Sages
• sapta-ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्विगु: सप्त ऋषयः

• abhavan: were/became
• abhavan: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speakers

• Markandeya narrating

Primary Deities

• Agni (as a sage-name; also a deity-name)

Key Themes

• Saptarṣi succession
• Manvantara chronology
• Cosmic order through sages

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Each age is anchored by exemplary seers who preserve revelation, ritual, and moral law—sages are the stabilizing ‘memory’ of dharma across cycles.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Manvantara: naming the Saptarṣis is a definitive Manvantara component, alongside devas and Indra.

What is the esoteric significance?

The Saptarṣis can be read as seven guiding principles/faculties (light, law, expansion, discernment, cyclical time, transformative fire, protection/nurture) that uphold an age’s spiritual ecology.