Shloka 45

Sṛṣṭi-krama, Pratibimba-Upādhi, and Viṣṇu as Primary Brahman

with Pralaya and Nāma-Stuti

Devanagari script

न तं विना मातरिश्वा च वस्तुमन्योन्यमाप्तिः कालतो न्यूनता च / यदा महत्तत्त्वनि यामकोभूद्ब्रह्माण्डान्तस्थूलसृष्टौ महात्मा

Transliteration

na taṃ vinā mātariśvā ca vastumanyonyamāptiḥ kālato nyūnatā ca / yadā mahattattvani yāmakobhūdbrahmāṇḍāntasthūlasṛṣṭau mahātmā

Translation

Ohne Ihn kann selbst Mātariśvan (Vāyu) nicht wirken; auch können sich die Stoffe nicht miteinander verbinden, noch vermag die Zeit Abfolge und Maß zu verleihen. Als jedoch das Große Prinzip (mahat-tattva) in Bewegung gesetzt wurde, brachte jenes große Wesen die grobstoffliche Schöpfung im Weltenei (brahmāṇḍa) hervor.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• tam: him/that
• tam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vinā: without
• vinā: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपपद-अव्यय (without)

• mātariśvā: Mātariśvan (Vāyu)
• mātariśvā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātariśvan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• vastum: to exist/to abide
• vastum: Karma (कर्म/infinitival complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vas (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive) ‘to dwell/abide/exist’

• anyonya-āptiḥ: mutual reaching/attainment
• anyonya-āptiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anyonya (प्रातिपदिक) + āpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘अन्योन्या आप्तिः’ (mutual attainment)

• kālataḥ: in terms of time/from time
• kālataḥ: Hetu (हेतु/cause-circumstance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘from/with respect to time’

• nyūnatā: deficiency/lessening
• nyūnatā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nyūnatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• yadā: when
• yadā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal conjunction: when)

• mahat-tattvani: in the Mahat-tattva
• mahat-tattvani: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक) + tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘महत्तत्त्व’ (the Mahat principle)

• yāmakaḥ: Yāmaka (a being/name)
• yāmakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yāmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• abhūt: became/was
• abhūt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/Imperfective past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• brahmāṇḍa-anta-sthūla-sṛṣṭau: in the gross creation within the Brahmāṇḍa
• brahmāṇḍa-anta-sthūla-sṛṣṭau: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmāṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक) + sthūla (प्रातिपदिक) + sṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (nested): ‘ब्रह्माण्डस्य अन्तः’ + ‘अन्तःस्थ’ + ‘स्थूल-सृष्टि’ (gross creation within the cosmic egg)

• mahātmā: the great-souled one
• mahātmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra in the Brahma Kanda cosmology discourse)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Without the supreme causal ground, even Vāyu cannot function; combination of elements and temporal sequencing depend on that cause; creation begins when mahat-tattva is set in motion.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara as nimitta/upādāna (governing cause) over prakṛti’s evolutes; time and causation as dependent realities (vyāvahārika).

Application: Contemplate dependent origination: treat time, change, and ‘my control’ as contingent; cultivate humility and surrender while studying tattva-krama (mahat → further creation).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic-structure

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.2.44 (Vāyu as indispensable for embodiment); Garuda Purana 3.2.46–48 (subsequent timing of Vāyu and Sarasvatī in sṛṣṭi-krama)

Characters & Entities

• Mātariśvan (Vāyu)
• Mahat-tattva
• Brahmāṇḍa

FAQs

What is the importance of mahat-tattva in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents mahat-tattva as the first major cosmic principle whose activation enables ordered manifestation—time, combination of elements, and the emergence of gross creation within the brahmāṇḍa.

How does this verse explain the beginning of creation?

It states that without the Supreme principle, even Vāyu cannot function and substances cannot combine; creation proceeds when the mahat-tattva is stirred, leading to the formation of the gross universe inside the cosmic egg.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages seeing order, time, and life-breath as dependent realities—prompting humility, disciplined living, and reverence for the sustaining principle behind nature’s processes.