Shloka 17
Sṛṣṭi–Pratisṛṣṭi: Viṣṇu as Kāla and the Ninefold Creation Schema
(६) तदूर्ध्वस्तोतसां षष्ठो देवसर्गस्तु स स्मृतः / (७) ततोर्ऽवाक्स्रोतसां सर्गः सप्तमः स तु मा नुषः
(6) tadūrdhvastotasāṃ ṣaṣṭho devasargastu sa smṛtaḥ / (7) tator'vāksrotasāṃ sargaḥ saptamaḥ sa tu mā nuṣaḥ
Unter denen, deren Lebensstrom aufwärts gerichtet ist, gilt die sechste Schöpfung als die Schöpfung der Devas. Danach, unter denen, deren Strom abwärts gerichtet ist, ist die siebte Schöpfung die der Menschen.
Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Different ‘streams’ of embodiment: upward-current beings culminate in devas; downward-current beings include humans—suggesting graded tendencies and karmic trajectories.
Vedantic Theme: Samsāra as a graded field shaped by guṇas and karma; human birth as a pivotal junction for sādhanā despite being within the downward-flowing embodied condition.
Application: Use human life to reverse the ‘downward pull’ through dharma, self-discipline, and Vishnu-bhakti; aim for sattva and higher aspiration.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: species/realm classification (deva/manushya)
Related Themes: Sarga list context: preceding sthāvara/tiryak in 1.4.16; broader Purvakhanda cosmology sections
FAQs
This verse uses the direction of the life-current (upward vs. downward) to classify types of beings, placing devas among the upward-current creation and humans among the downward-current creation.
Indirectly, it frames beings by their inherent orientation: devas are associated with an upward tendency, while humans are described within a downward-current category—suggesting differing existential conditions that later chapters connect to karma and post-death destinies.
Cultivate sāttvic conduct and disciplined living to develop an “upward” inner orientation—ethical restraint, truthfulness, and devotion—rather than a downward pull toward impulsive sense-driven habits.