Shloka 53
अध्याय १६ — शङ्कर-उमा-वरदानम् तथा तण्डि-स्तुतिः (Śaṅkara–Umā Boon-Granting and Taṇḍi’s Hymn)
प्रधानं महदव्यक्तं विशेषान्तं सवैकृतम् । ब्रह्मादिस्तम्बपर्यन्तं भूतादि सदसच्च यत्
pradhānaṃ mahad avyaktaṃ viśeṣāntaṃ savaikṛtam | brahmādistambaparyantaṃ bhūtādi sadasacca yat ||
Vāyu sprach: „Jene Wirklichkeit, die mit Pradhāna (der uranfänglichen Natur) und Mahat (dem großen Prinzip) beginnt, das Unmanifestierte einschließt und sich durch die Hervorbringungen bis zu den vereinzelten Elementen erstreckt — ja, der ganze Bereich von Brahmā bis zu einem Grashalm; die Gesamtheit der Wesen und die ursprünglichen Bestandteile; und alles, was zugleich seiend und nichtseiend ist (manifest und unmanifest) — all dies ist darin begriffen (im beschriebenen Umfang).“
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a Sāṅkhya-style totality: from the unmanifest root (pradhāna/avyakta) through cosmic intellect (mahat) and subsequent evolutes down to the smallest visible forms. It emphasizes that reality spans both manifest (sat) and unmanifest (asat) domains, encouraging a comprehensive, non-narrow view of existence.
Vāyu is speaking in a didactic context, enumerating fundamental categories of existence. The statement functions as a philosophical catalog—mapping the hierarchy from the highest creator figure (Brahmā) to the humblest life-form (grass)—to frame the scope of what is being discussed or contemplated.