Shloka 61

Description of the Origin of the Cosmic Egg (Brahmāṇḍa) and the Ocean as King of Tīrthas

Devanagari script

कालमायांशलिंगेभ्य एतेभ्योंऽडमचेतनम् । समभूच्चेतनं जातं दरेण विशता सति ॥ ६१ ॥

Transliteration

kālamāyāṃśaliṃgebhya etebhyoṃ'ḍamacetanam | samabhūccetanaṃ jātaṃ dareṇa viśatā sati || 61 ||

Translation

من هذه المبادئ—كالا (الزمن)، ومايا (الوهم الكوني)، وأجزاء مبدأ اللِّنگا—نشأت البيضة الكونية (aṇḍa) غير الواعية. فلمّا دخلها الربّ الساكن في الباطن، صارت واعيةً حيّة.

Word by Word

• kāla-māyā-aṃśa-liṅgebhyaḥ: from time, māyā, parts, and liṅgas (subtle marks)
• kāla-māyā-aṃśa-liṅgebhyaḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla + māyā + aṃśa + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound with enumerated members (समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व-like listing): 'from time, māyā, parts, and liṅgas'; Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Plural (बहुवचन)

• etebhyaḥ: from these
• etebhyaḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Plural (बहुवचन)

• aṇḍam: cosmic egg
• aṇḍam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/1 or द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); here Nominative as subject

• acetanam: insentient
• acetanam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: acetana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with aṇḍam

• samabhūt: came into being
• samabhūt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद); with prefix sam- (सम्)

• cetanam: sentient
• cetanam: Kriyā (क्रिया; predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cetana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/1 or द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective to aṇḍam

• jātam: having become/produced
• jātam: Kriyā (क्रिया; predicate participle)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jāta (प्रातिपदिक; √jan/जन् धातु, क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with aṇḍam (understood)

• dareṇa: by a splitting/cleaving
• dareṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन); 'by/with a splitting/cleft'

• viśatā: by entering
• viśatā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: viśat (प्रातिपदिक; √viś/विश् धातु, शतृ)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ/वर्तमानकृदन्त) of √viś (विश्) 'to enter'; Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन), Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं); used adverbially: 'by entering'

• sati: while being/when it is so
• sati: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ) of √as (अस्), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग); locative absolute: 'when/while (it) is'

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the creation narrative context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kāla
• Māyā
• Brahmāṇḍa (Cosmic Egg)
• Antaryāmin (Indwelling Lord)

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It teaches that the universe may arise as a material structure (the brahmāṇḍa), but true life and sentience manifest only when the Supreme indwells it as Antaryāmin—highlighting God as the source of consciousness.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

By implying that consciousness and meaning come from the Lord’s presence, it supports bhakti as turning the mind toward the indwelling Divine—recognizing Him as the inner life of all beings rather than seeing the world as merely inert matter.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Indirectly, it aligns with Vedic cosmological reasoning used in Jyotiṣa and Kalpa traditions: time (kāla) is a governing principle, while ritual and contemplation assume a sentient order sustained by the indwelling Lord.