Shloka 12

An Exposition of the Distinctions of Creation, Inert Matter, and the Lord

Devanagari script

महतो ब्रह्मवायू च जज्ञाते खाभिमानिनौ / तस्य संवत्सरात्पश्चाद्यमलौ संबभूवतुः

Transliteration

mahato brahmavāyū ca jajñāte khābhimāninau / tasya saṃvatsarātpaścādyamalau saṃbabhūvatuḥ

Translation

Aus dem Großen Prinzip (Mahān) wurden Brahmā und Vāyu geboren, die über den Raum (kha) walten (und sich mit ihm identifizieren). Nachdem darauf ein Jahr verstrichen war, entstanden die beiden Yama.

Word by Word

• महतः: of Mahat
• महतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ब्रह्म-वायू: Brahmā and Vāyu
• ब्रह्म-वायू: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• जज्ञाते: were born/arose
• जज्ञाते: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ख-अभिमानिनौ: presiding over space (kha)
• ख-अभिमानिनौ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिमानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुषः (खे अभिमानिनौ = presiding over space)

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• संवत्सरात्: after a year
• संवत्सरात्: Apādāna (अपादान/Temporal source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; कालवाचक (after a year)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kāla (काल/Time adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (afterwards)

• यमलौ: the pair/twins
• यमलौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेषण (twin/pair)

• संबभूवतुः: came into being/arose
• संबभूवतुः: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: From Mahat arise presiding deities (Brahmā, Vāyu) associated with space/ether-identification; temporal sequencing (‘after one year’) introduces ordered manifestation culminating in Yama-powers.

Vedantic Theme: Tattva-to-devatā mapping: subtle principles express as cosmic intelligences; kāla (time) as organizer of manifestation.

Application: Use the sequence as a contemplative map: trace from subtle intellect (mahat) to functional forces (vāyu) and moral order (yama) to understand how inner cognition links to ethical consequence.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.4.11 (Mahat’s origin); Garuda Purana Pretakalpa sections on Yama and judgment (general internal thematic link)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Vayu
• Yama
• Mahat
• Kha (Akasha/Space)

FAQs

What is the importance of Yama’s origin in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames Yama as a cosmic function arising in the creation sequence, supporting the Purana’s later teachings on death, judgement, and moral accountability.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By placing Yama within cosmic origins, it implies that post-death governance is not arbitrary but part of an ordered universe—preparing the reader for descriptions of Yama’s realm and karmic outcomes.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with ethical discipline (dharma) and awareness of consequences, since the text presents moral order and post-death adjudication as built into the structure of reality.