Adhyāya 42 — Mahābhūta–Indriya–Adhyātma-Vyavasthā
Brahmā’s Instruction on Elements and Faculties
स्वेदजा: कृमय: प्रोक्ता जन्तवश्न॒ यथाक्रमम्
svedajāḥ kṛmayaḥ proktā jantavaś ca yathākramam
বায়ু বললেন—স্বেদজ জীবদের কৃমি প্রভৃতি সূক্ষ্ম জন্তু বলা হয়েছে; এইরূপে ক্রমানুসারে জীবশ্রেণি বর্ণিত হল।
वायुदेव उवाच
The verse presents a traditional, ordered taxonomy of life, identifying “sweat-born” beings as kṛmi (worms/minute creatures), emphasizing that creation and life-forms can be understood through systematic categories.
Vāyu-deva is instructing the listener by enumerating types of living beings in sequence; here he reaches the category of sweat-born creatures and names them as kṛmi.