Shloka 76

Devaśarmā–Vipula Dialogue on Ahorātra–Ṛtu as Moral Witnesses (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय ४३)

Devanagari script

मानवानां प्रमोहार्थ कृत्या नार्योडसृजत्‌ प्रभु: । उन देवताओंके मनकी बात जानकर भगवान्‌ ब्रह्माने मनुष्योंको मोहमें डालनेके लिये कृत्यारूप नारियोंकी सृष्टि की

Transliteration

mānavānāṁ pramohārthaṁ kṛtyā nāryo 'sṛjat prabhuḥ | tān devatānāṁ manasī bālaṁ jñātvā bhagavān brahmā manuṣyān mohayituṁ kṛtyārūpā nārīḥ sasarja ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: Da er erkannte, was die Götter im Sinn hatten, erschuf der Herr Brahmā Frauen in der Gestalt von kṛtyās, um die Menschen in Verblendung zu stürzen.

Word by Word

• मानवानाम्: of humans
• मानवानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• प्रमोह-अर्थम्: for the purpose of delusion
• प्रमोह-अर्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमोहार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कृत्याः: Kṛtyā-women (bewitching/ensnaring females)
• कृत्याः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• नारीः: women
• नारीः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• उद्-असृजत्: created / sent forth
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), Third, Singular

• प्रभुः: the Lord
• प्रभुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Brahmā
• Devatāḥ (the gods)
• Mānavāḥ (human beings)
• Kṛtyā (occult/ritual creation)
• Nārīḥ (women)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse warns that attachment and fascination can become a source of moha (delusion), undermining discrimination and steadiness in dharma; it presents this as a cosmic, didactic explanation through Brahmā’s act of creation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, in an instructive discourse, states that Brahmā—perceiving the gods’ intention—created women as kṛtyā-like forms to bewilder humans, using mythic causation to explain moral vulnerability and the need for self-control.